


That's My Tutor

by Rytherlover



Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:07:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 118,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25695529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rytherlover/pseuds/Rytherlover
Summary: When bad boy Craig gets a tutor.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Comments: 542
Kudos: 593





	1. Craig

Beep

Beep

Beep

A fist slammed down on an alarm clock, it's beeping dying off in scared submission under the hand. A gruff grumble emerged from the heap of blankets that laid over a old and squeaky mattress. The person underneath the covers did a lame stretch of the limbs outward before sitting up with a growling yawn. A couple smacking of the lips and the male sat up from his bed to wonder towards his disheveled dresser, the drawers were sticking out with stuffed in clothes and forgotten homework to never be seen or heard from again.

He took a glance at the drawers and decided it took too much work to try and pry open the dresser for the clothes inside and decided to grab the leather jacket he usually wore from the floor. Slinging the article over his grey pajama shirt. The male then pulled on yesterday's pair of jeans and did a stroll to the bathroom. He gave an eye to the stubble that's started to accumulate around his chin and jaw. He then grabbed a toothbrush that looked a few too many years past retirement and squeezed the middle of the toothpaste tube lazily to get some of that breath saving gel onto the brush.

After less than a minute of sloppy brushing the boy spit and took a handful of the running tap water to get the last remnants of toothpaste out of his mouth. Coming up from spitting in the sink he looked at the black bed head he had going on and shrugged, taking a blue hat and throwing it over the top of his head. His hand going up to flick the yellow puff ball on the top of the hat with a satisfied smirk.

"Craig Tucker!" A womanly voice screamed from above him.

The male rolled his eyes and pointed his head towards the ceiling. "That's me."

"Are you ready for school yet? You're going to be late!" His mother yelled through the floor again. 

Craig came out of the bathroom towards the stairs of the basement to trek up them, kicking various empty cans of soda out of his way as he walked. "Sounds good to me."

His mother opened the basement door to see her son dressed not to impress and groaned. "You look great today."

The boy smiled a wicked smile, taking the flaps of his jacket to open it up and fully show the grey shirt he wore underneath. The obscure stains printing themselves around the armpits and collar making the woman cringe slightly. "Don't I always?"

"Just go to school already." The woman then turned from the door to grab her purse and keys. "No skipping today."

Craig shrugged and walked towards the front door where he leaves his backpack every time he comes home from school, not bothering to open it and learn it's contents. The keys to his beat up truck rattling in the front pocket of the dingy bag as he picked it up, pulling the key-ring attached to a black lanyard and three other keys out.

He stepped out the front door with a deep breath and smirked as he walked to his truck. "Ol' reliable."

The vehicle was on it's last legs, the rust around the rims of the tires showing it's age like the rings of a tree. The passenger side rear view mirror holding on with the last screw of a millennia and the mirror having a crack that ran through like a lighting bolt. The dark-red rusting color of the truck clouding in the morning's sun, not a single shine to be shone anywhere on the car.

The keyed in name of Sarah making it's way over the driver's door, letting Craig reminisce in the line of scornful lovers that he has left behind. Remembering the current girl he has fixated his attention on, not for the hope of a long everlasting marriage, but for the hopes of quick intercourse.

Turning the keys of the car causing the truck to cough and choke before it could finally hum out its reluctant acceptance to drive. 

A slam of the car door and Craig was walking off into school three minutes before the bell could ring. Despite the fact he could make it to class on time if he wanted, he liked the idea of being late and having the opportunity to make a grand entrance into his first period. Setting his sights on now making it to the bathroom for a quick puff before having to deal with the tiresome questions of a worried teacher or concerned counselor.

"Hey Craig. Kinda early for you to be at school." A dirty blonde said from against the wall, his crooked teeth grinning at Craig like a cougar. A faded orange jacket making the smallest of scratching noises against itself as the male raised the bud of a cigarette to his mouth.

"Fuck you Kenny." Craig reached into his jacket for his classic pick, Marlboro Gold. "Just give me a light."

The other male shrugged with a ever-present smile. "Sure Tucker."

"Mister Tucker, is there a reason you are half an hour late for class when I saw you walk into school before it started?"

Craig shrugged from his desk, his folded arms staying intact through the response. "I drink too much water before I come to school."

James Bax got his bachelors degree in Education and a minor in History, he had actually graduated with honors to end up here. Glaring down a the teen because of their refusal to give any respect to him or his teachings.

With a frown Mr. Bax took a step back from Craig's desk. The cap of the whiteboard marker in his hand being twisted in nerves and frustration from the disturbance of a student. "Maybe you should reconsider your water intake." He then grabbed a stack of papers from his desk and plopped the first paper at the top of the stack on Craig's desk. "Because much like your bladder Mister Tucker, your grade in this class is struggling."

A test with a big red F on the top of it, for extra punch the cunning letter was circled in that same red pen. The little battlefield of answers that had all been slain and crossed out with the pen showing brightly on the page. The deep red from the paper seeming to creep onto Craig's face as the laughs of his classmates echoed throughout the room. He gave a singular eyebrow raise to the teacher and their sass talk in a classroom Craig has claimed as his own long ago.

"Well _Teach_... If I'm being honest." Craig stood up taking the test in hand to hold it up in front of the poor educationist's face. "This F was on purpose and it wasn't for _me_ to get back."

The teacher looked up at the over-sized teen and crossed his arms. "Oh Really? Then who is the F for?"

Craig picked up his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder, already knowing the route this is heading. "The F is for you."

"And why is that?" The teacher said glaring.

"Because _F_ ~uck You Mr. Bax." The F in the word being feathered out in prolonged build-up before cutting through the air like a knife with that thick throaty sound of the K.

Craig then let the test drop from his hands to the ground, the page fluttering in laughter along with the rest of the teens in the class. The king had now reclaimed his throne as the ruler of this room and all who occupy it.

"Office! Now Tucker!" Mr. Bax said, the red anger deep inside of him building onto his face as he said the words. An angry long finger pointing towards the door, unaware of the fact that Craig is already making his way to the exit.

"Oh I'm so shocked." Craig said in a faux surprised tone, his voice raising an octave and having a tint of country accent to mock a southern belle in distress. His legs swung out the classroom door, but his arms held onto the side of the frame, keeping his head in sight to all inside the room. A smile on his face as he spoke again. "Oh I forgot. Could you stamp my punch card for this office visit? Tenth one and I eat free in the cafeteria."

"Out!" Mr. Bax started to stomp over towards Craig with an unknown intent, but the teen didn't let himself stay a target for a cruel or unusual punishment for too long; his head leaving view of everyone with a quick whip of blue and yellow.

As the teen slowly strut down the hallways he nicked sides with a much smaller boy, Craig's eyes just barely glancing down to care about the person he had just bumped into. The flash of yellow that passed by his eyes was almost enough to intrigue him to look and see what had came in contact, but the lack of height on the other person's part left him too lazy to give the extra effort of tilting his head down to look at this small ball of light passing him by. Thinking it wouldn't have worked anyways because of how fast the person was moving, Craig shrugged his shoulders and kept going forward to the office.

"Wow I didn't know you had such muscular arms." A slender girl squeaked from Craig's side, her hand trying to wrap around his bicep, yet to no avail.

Craig smirked down at the girl. "Yeah, I work out sometimes." He looked off into the distance, his arms subtly flexing as he shrugged. "Nothing too much."

"I bet you could lift me." The girl said pressing closer to Craig, her chest brushing up against his side.

"I bet I could." Craig said with a flash of teeth.

"Hey Craig." A dark haired girl said from in front of him.

Craig inwardly groaned as he knew the voice too well, he turned towards the girl with a lame smile. "Hey Wendy."

The girl on Craig's side caught glance of Miss Testaburger and scoffed, walking away without a word to either of the people involved in the interaction.

"I know you're probably busy, but I was wondering if you were doing anything this Friday?" The girl fluttered her lashes as she took a step closer to the smokey smelling male.

"Heh." Craig shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket, fiddling with his pack of cancer sticks to try and think his way out of having anything to do with this girl. "This Friday?"

Wendy nodded and came closer whispering. "I bought some weed."

"Oh." Craig cringed at the attempt to coax him into hanging out and let out a hollow chuckle. "I have uh-" Craig looked out of the corner of his eye and say a flyer on the lunch bulletin talking about the family picnic's that are supposed to take place this month. "A family event this Friday."

"Okay if not Friday how about Sat-"

"I actually have to spend time with my family all weekend." Craig nodded with his answer, trying to both convince himself and Wendy of the lie. "So..." Craig shrugged as he said an unremorseful " _Sorry_." Craig then walked off in the direction of the girl that had left him earlier in hopes of getting back to where they had been in their conversation.

"I'll get you one day Tucker." Wendy said to herself as she watched him leave.

"Craig! What did we talk about?" His mother screamed as she held a polite white paper. A paper that held all the dirty secrets about Craig and his lack of effort and respect in school. Craig just stared back blankly at the woman. "We talked about you raising your grades! If you don't do something now you won't graduate!"

Laura Tucker threw the paper toward her son, the report card spinning to land in front of Craig directly. The six F's and one C leaving the male a bit more worried than he was a minute ago. The thought of not being able to get out of the hell hole he called school this year did strike a cord with him. He took the paper crumpling it before throwing it to the trash. "Look Mom, I'll just talk to my teachers and see-"

"No Craig! You always say 'I'll just talk to my teachers' but you never do!" Laura looked down into the kitchen sink. Her reflection staring back at her, the anger on her face only bouncing off the water and making her more enraged, fueling her like another person riling her up. She spun around from the sink and glared at her son. "And when you do talk to them I get calls like the one I got today about you saying the f-word to your teacher."

Craig rolled his eyes. "He was trying to make a fool out of me."

"It would serve you right!" The oven dinged and Laura walked towards it to pull out the meat she had put in there. "You need a reality check. You can't keep living like a firecracker Craig!"

She then plopped down the cooked meat on the kitchen table in front of Craig, the face of the severed up hog staring at him. The honey glazed eyes doing their best to try and get Craig to run before it was too late and he too was dead meat on a serving block.

"But it's okay because that's it."

Craig looked up from the pleading eyes to the now calmer eyes of his mother. "What's it?"

Laura pulled out a cleaver to finally pull the flesh from bone on the roasted animal. "You're getting a tutor."

Craig let out a laugh. "Okay Mom, I know I've been bad, but-"

"Oh I'm sorry. Did I say getting one?" She then slammed down the knife into the side of the pig then turned towards Craig with one hand on her hip. "What I meant to say is, I got you one. You meet with them tomorrow after school."

"What?!"


	2. Tweek

Beep

Beep

Beep

A delicate hand emerged from a white duvet, to gently press down the snooze button of the pristine alarm clock; the ticking timer never missing a beat as it spoke it's steady ticks. A soft yawn from what could only have come from a small or sickeningly cute beast sounded throughout the room. The end of the exclamation having a high pitch before the person laying beneath the silk sheets sat up with their hands pushing them up. The person smiled as they turned to look out their windows, the sun peeking in, reflecting off of the sheets and into the riser's eyes.

After a few more moments of morning bliss, the decision to finally get out of bed caused the pin drop sound of cold toes pressing into a fuzzy carpet. The gentle feet stepping towards a long closet door that held the day's contents within it. A gentle creak of the door made the person smile, signs of times like creakings and faded colors somehow always warmed a heart.

On the inner mirror of the closet sat a clear little cup of cards held to the door with a magnet, a single card leaving the cluster because of a pale hand plucking it from it's home.

"Omnipotent. Adjective. Meaning almighty and all powerful." The voice cut through with confidence and a hint of ambition to conquer the new word, despite it's meaning, it could not overpower this learner.

Omnipotent

Omnipotent

_Omnipotent_

The word being mouthed silently into the air, brows scrunching and eyes narrowing at the challenge. No contender can stand against this brain, nothing will stand against him in his quest to be able to use this word randomly.

"Omnipo-"

The sharp ring of a silver cell cut into the memorization.

"Hmph. Interrupting me." The same delicate set of hands grabbed the phone with a small twinge of annoyance twitching through the fingers. "Hello?"

"Good morning Tweek."

Tweek rolled his eyes but smiled. "Good morning Token. Very omnipotent of you to call me in the morning."

Token chuckled through the line. "Nothing quite like hearing your vocab to start my day."

"How sweet." Tweek looked at himself in the mirror with a small smile, his eyes wandering over to the clothes that hung next to the door. "Now why are you calling me Mr. Black?"

"Business as usual I see Mr. Tweak." A small click of the tongue sounded through the other end of the phone. "I'm reminding you about the prom committee meeting during first period."

Tweek perked up at the words and the sight of a green sweater in his closet that looked identical to half of the other things in his closet. "Oh! Thank you for reminding me!"

"Of course. Anytime." Token said fondly into the phone, but the words flying straight through Tweek's ears as he snatched the green garment in his closet with an excited fervor.

"What would I do without you?" Tweek questioned rhetorically, bending down to look through the jeans that wear folded into clear drawers. "Alright see you first period."

"See yo-"

Tweek hung up the phone before Token could finish speaking, setting his phone back down on his desk with a graceful slam. Holding up baby blue denim jeans and the green sweater with a smile, his teeth having to hold back the excitement his lips were threatening to show. 

"Are you kidding me?" Tweek asked out to the red light that had been laughing at him for the past ten minutes. He only had 5 minutes to get to school and the pressure of being late to his morning meeting started to make his heart compress in stress. "Come on. Go!"

Tweek tapped his foot anxiously on the pedal, his car growling with each small hit against the gas; the brakes being the only thing to keep this pedal from the metal. He glared down at the road being illuminated by the sun and the bright red light that refused to let him start his day.

He let out a frustrated groan letting his head fall against his steering wheel for a moment of silent defeat. His thumbs rapped against the wheel as he let out curses to the floor of his car. A conspiracy theory building in his head on the idea that the red light waited for him. That it's been plotting this great heist of Tweek's time since he had gotten his car and it decided to wait until he had to pitch his prom plans to the committee to make him late.

Honking behind him from agitated cars alerted him straight up again, his eyes flicked to the traffic light that was sticking it's tongue out at him in a mocking variation of a green light. It caught him in a moment of weakness.

Tweek growled and shifted into the third gear to finally slam his foot down onto the gas pedal, the car being released to finally finish it's race. 

Tweek was sprinting down the halls his messenger bag flying behind him as he ran, the small squeaks of his shoes treading against the linoleum of the school floor echoing in a distasteful chorus of _erks._

"Hey Tweek."

He halted, the choir closing with a triumphant _'er erk'_ as he turned towards the evil voice of a pure shrew. He glared at the interruption of his dash to the committee, but stayed knowing that she too is expected to be at this meeting. Finding it odd she is walking the halls when the event is supposed to be taking place.

"Hello Wendy." Tweek said straightening himself out, readjusting his bag that was strapped over his chest and pulling down his sweater that had hiked itself up from the bolt into school.

"Where are you going to in such a rush? I hope not the prom meeting." Wendy said with a condescending smirk, her eyes wide and innocent. "Because if so, you're going the wrong way."

"What? No I'm not. It's supposed to be in room 103-"

Wendy let out a laugh. "You didn't get the memo? We had to clear out that room because of the bad chem lab that happened yesterday. We're in room 150 today."

Tweek squinted at the girl. "If that's where we're meeting then where are you going?"

"Bathroom."

Tweek huffed a sigh and did a 180 turn towards the other side of the building toward the social studies hall. He clutched his bag tightly and once again let his feet skim against the floor to his next destination.

As the teen ran he bumped shoulders with a tall figure of black and splash of blue, his eyes only catching the tail-end of the person that had been walking so leisurely through the school halls. Their pace was so slow in comparison to Tweek's that it almost felt like he had hit a stone wall when his shoulder hit their's. His slow pace was horrid, it irked him that this person was out of class walking like a zombie. The fact that school had only been in session for 40 minutes and this person had already decided to get out of it by leaving their class to do whatever it was this tall pile of black and blue was doing. Tweek shook his head at the thought thinking about the fact they couldn't even wait until second period to start skipping classes. 

"Ecology Club!" Tweek screamed into the room before plugging his nose with his fingers, a deeply disturbing smell of manure filling his nose.

"Yep, we always meet here!" A carefree blonde boy exclaimed. "I'm Butters. I'm the co-leader of the club. Today we're going to take this fertilizer and help all the little sad plants around the school grounds."

Tweek fanned the air in front of his face with a disgusted face. "Is that why it smells in here?"

"Well of course!" Butters exclaimed, picking up a bag of essential gardening items. "We can only use the freshest manure to help these hurting plants."

Tweek nodded with a pained smile, once again. Giving himself a dust off before standing up straight. "Well it was nice meeting you Butters, but I must go." As Tweek was walking out of the room he spotted a bright pink flower and smiled. "Oh Butters?"

"Yes Stranger?"

Tweek held up the plant. "Can I take this?"

"And I think that the Willy Wonka themed prom would go well, we could make the whole place look like Wonka's factory with candy centerpieces and a Candyland carpet with the different colored spaces." Wendy said aloud before sitting down in her seat. "It would be very in with the times."

"Hmm that does sound nice." Mrs. Clarkson said with a small frown, her glasses edging against the tip of her nose. "Speaking of ideas. Where's Tweek? Didn't he want to present some ideas?"

Wendy shrugged with a devious smile. "I guess he didn't set his alarm this morning."

"Well if no one else had any ideas. I guess we will have to go with Wendy's." The woman said scrawling down in cursive 'Willy Wonka' on her clipboard.

"Wait!" The door to the chemistry classroom swung open and slammed against the wall with an ear wincing noise. "I'm here Mrs. Clarkson!"

"Oh Hello Tweek." The teacher said with a smile. "What happened to yo- _Oh._ "

As Tweek walked in, so did the smell of-to put it nicely-pure horse shit. The smell being so violent on him as he came into the classroom that you could almost see the fumes hovering over him. The group of other student leaders looking and expecting to see the green lines of smell that would usually only occur in cartoons to be encircling the male.

Tweek sat down next to Token, handing the boy the small potted plant he had brought with him, his hands making quick work of his bag and pulling out the notes he had prepared for this very meeting.

"Tweek," Token said leaning over with a scrunched up face, his eyes still sizing up the flower in his hands with a curiousness. "Since I'm your friend I'm telling you this... You reek."

Tweek held up one hand, not looking up to talk with the other male on the current aromatic situation. "I'll tell you later, but to put it short. _Wendy._ "

Tweek then pulled out three papers and took back the plant with a new phase of dignity. Standing up from his seat with a smile towards the class full of people that had been looking at him waiting for him to say something about his prom ideas.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting, but I just had to volunteer at the Ecology club for a bit." Tweek let a glare fall on Wendy as he said the word volunteer. "But, it's okay because they are apart of my idea."

He then held up the flower above him with a smile. "Growth."

Wendy groaned, rolling her eyes as she leaned back in her chair.

"Since the only students who can attend prom are the upper classmen I was thinking that the idea of Growth would go amazing since we are all growing up in these informative years." Tweek then held the pretty flower close to this chest. "Think about it! We could cover the whole gymnasium with plants and greenery. Completely supplied by the Ecology club which would save us some money when it comes to the budget. You know... Just in case the fundraiser for the prom doesn't meet it's quota. And let's be honest our school doesn't have the best track record when it comes to participation in fundraisers." Tweek then set down the plant to glance around the room. "And I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to help raise funds for _another_ crappy prom."

His eyes falling to Wendy's, reminding her of last years prom without a word. The theme was 'A Night with Shakespeare' and it backfired horribly when a couple of idiots named Stan Marsh, Kyle Brofloski, Kenny McCormick and Eric Cartman kidnapped the rival school's mascot-a pig-and accidentally killed it, saying it was like Hamlet. The boy's _not_ realizing that that's nothing like Hamlet and the whole play didn't even have a pig in it.

"Plus, who doesn't like green?"

"Nice one Tweek." Token said handing his small vile of Cologne to Tweek.

Tweek smiled at the boy and handed his bag to the other male in an unfair trade off of bag and perfume. "Thanks. I kinda pulled it out of my ass at the end, but it's whatever."

"No way. You killed it the whole time through." Token said, watching as Tweek sprayed the expensive liquid on his wrists and rubbed them together.

Tweek gave him a small elbow bump. "I swear you're going to give me a cavity one day." He dabbed his wrist against his neck to try to cover up the manure smell better.

Token rolled his eyes. "Because I'm _too sweet._ "

Tweek giggled and pinched his friend's cheeks. "Exactly."

Token's face raised in temperature at the touch but smiled despite the flush of nerves.

"Oh that sucks." Token said as he read the bulletin board for the week.

Tweek perked his head up from his note cards he had made himself for a history quiz. "What? Did one of the events get cancelled?"

Token shook his head. "It's the tutor sign up board."

"What about it? No one actually uses those." Tweek said getting up from his seat in the corner of the library to stand with his friend. "Well no one has ever signed up for me I mean."

"Well now someone has." Token says pointing at the name written underneath _all_ of Tweek's free time listings.

Tweek's eyes widened as he caught eye of the name that had been printed underneath his over and over and over again.

_Craig Tucker_

_Craig Tucker_

_Craig Tucker_

_Craig Tucker_

_Craig Tucker_

_Craig Tucker_

_Craig Tucker_

"What?!"


	3. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I was listening to mumbo #5 the whole time I was writing this. The song doesn't fit the chapter, but I still was listening to it bc why not?

"Deep breaths in."

Tweek took a deep inhale through the nose.

"Deep breaths out."

He then exhaled with a long stream of air coming out through his mouth.

"Feel better?"

"No!" Tweek snapped out of his peaceful head space and turned to Token with a frown and worried brows. "Why would breathing help anything? I breath all the time!"

Tweek paced around the library in a hurry, his first session with Craig was in less than ten minutes and he wanted nothing more than to just cancel. He wasn't nervous or feeling too hot under the collar to go on like any of the other people that seemed to see Craig Tucker around this school, in fact it was the complete opposite.

Tweek had heard rumors about this feral and undomesticated animal of a teenager, how he bounced from girl to girl to sometimes boy to girl taking their v-cards then leaving without another word to them.

How he had a complete disrespect for the teachers at this school and the classes that they teach. Just yesterday he heard the boy had been sent to the office for cursing at a teacher, the idea of him just blatantly doing that to a teacher had Tweek's blood boiling. Someone who has dedicated their life to helping and enriching the youth of today being treated poorly made no sense to him, all teachers wanted was to help their students learn and here was this asshole causing a ruckus.

Or the fact that this ruffian took pride in going to bars just to fight. He spent his weekends going into dive bars to see who he could take and marking off how many people he has won against. Legend says he hasn't lost a battle yet.

Everything about the rugged male repulsed Tweek, leaving this student tutor less than happy about their job.

"Oh god! I'm gonna kill myself." Tweek said after another moment of solitary thought. "This couldn't be a worse week. I swear it's because Jupiter is in retrograde."

Token let out a laugh and put his hands on Tweek's shoulders. "Listen Tweek it can't be that bad. The worst that can happen is he tries to hit on you and you have to hose him off."

Tweek lets out a small snort. "Yeah right. Like he'd try to get it on with _me_." He gave a glance down to his brightly colored pink sweater and dark jeans.

"I don't know. I think you're pretty great." Token said, his lips twitching up and face tilting towards Tweek's.

For a solid moment Tweek paused in awe of his friend and the kind words, then he smiled a gentle smile. Tweek's hand coming to swipe at Token's nose with a single finger. "Is that a backbone I see growing?" Token let out a laugh and Tweek pulled away from him to gather his things from the spot he had placed his bag. He hung his bag back over his shoulder with a sigh. "Seriously though, I'm gonna go to the rooms now. Wish me luck."

"You don't need luck." Token said with a smile before backing up with his bag. "Probably just a cross to keep 'hot rod' off of you."

Tweek grabbed his keys to the personalized study rooms meant for one-on-one student tutoring and put them in the door. He gave a sigh as he looked at the bland space. It was an almost empty room with a large circle table, a couple of chairs and a small shelf with random essentials like paper, pencils etc. It had a large window in it which was nice, but still didn't keep Tweek from thinking about how boring the room is.

He preferred his space decorated with bright colors, intricate designs, current projects, or pictures. Just anything to fill the void on the walls, but none of the kind were to be found on these walls. Just creme colored paint, a clock and the slightly yellow flickering florescent hue of the school's light.

Tweek sat down in the seat across from the door and started to pull out the usual things he was supposed to bring to these sessions. A list of the person's classes, how many sessions they had booked for the after school help and for how long.

The last two components of that list making him feel more than confused. Craig had fully booked out Tweek for all of his available hours until the end of the school year. He had even snooped into the other tutors folder's and saw that they had completely open slots. It seems Craig hadn't even given a glance to their times.

Tweek clicked his tongue and checked the singular black rimmed clock on the wall above the door and frowned.

"He's late."

Tweek was close to dozing off when he finally heard the turning of the door knob, he popped his head up from his arms and took a glance at the person standing in the door way with a small amount of astonishment.

He had only heard about this tyrant like an old folk-lore, but in person he lived up to the legends. He was so tall that his height left Tweek wondering about a theory that maybe he needed the tutoring because of the amount of brain cells he loses in a day from banging his head on things, but the mythology of this person didn't stop there. He had eyes like lions, they were bright and piercing, a mean blue color glaring down at Tweek. The eyes signaling to him that this male did not sign himself up for these lessons, nor did he want to be at these lessons.

Tweek gave a brief check to the outfit he wore and almost wanted to give a cackle. The cliché of the leather jacket and the tight jeans were too perfected to his character and what people said about him. The one piece that Tweek found himself liking was the blue hat with a sweet little puff ball on the top of it.

That small yellow puff smiling at him gave Tweek the courage to smile at this man-child.

Craig walked forward silently, closing the door behind him with a little too much attitude, causing the loud slam of the door in it's frame.

Then he just stood there glaring down at Tweek like he was expecting this unsuspecting Tutor to fold under the pressure and tell him whatever he wanted to hear, but little to his knowledge, that isn't Tweek's style.

Finding the silence a little too awkward Tweek cleared his throat. "Ehem. I'm Tweek. I'll be your tutor." He stood from his seat and held out his hand towards Craig. "Nice to meet you."

The towering teen raised an eyebrow at the outstretched hand and sat down in the seat in front of Tweek without a word. He tossed his bag to the side and leaned back against the cheap plastic seat with his arms crossed. No show of emotion except his scowl.

Tweek bit the inside of his cheek and withdrew his hand with a small smile. "Okay then."

He then sat down and re-opened the folder he was previously going through. "So usually this just works by you telling me what classes you're having a problem with and I'll see how much I can help you." Tweek looked back up at Craig with his same smile, but the hospitality wearing thin because of the glare that he still had.

Tweek sucked his teeth as he waited for a response.

Craig finally leaned forward on the table with his hands, the hands looking comically large in comparison to Tweek's small ones. His eyes narrowing further and he came close to Tweek from across the circular surface. "I just wanna get something straight."

Tweek raised an eyebrow in question and his lips finally fell from their podiums.

"I didn't sign up for this. My mom signed me up and I have no intention of doing anything more than this one meetup." Craig kept his voice low and dangerous, the tone was almost enough to give Tweek chills.

_Almost._

"Alright." Tweek felt amused by the confidence that Craig had in him to just go along with his plans to skip these study hours. He leaned forward to rest his chin over the top of his interlocked hands, wanting to hear more of this imaginary world where Tweek would just give up his student duties. "So after this you'll just tell your mom that you're going to these sessions, but in reality you're doing...what?"

Craig took a moment of thought, his eyes raking over Tweek and his vibrant yellow hair, the mane sticking out like the puff ball on his hat. His eyes intriguing Craig in a standoff of sorts, the green-blue gradient making him feel a little more absorbed into the rambunctious blonde. The new competition Craig had seemed to light off underneath Tweek acting like a fire behind the dark pupils. The boy seeming eager to say something or retort back to Craig as soon as he spoke. 

"In reality... I'll be doing anything better than this." Craig finally said with a final look over the boy, letting an amused smile slip at the pink sweater he was wearing.

"So let me get this straight." Tweek leaned back away from his hands holding his head and sat up straight in his chair. "Anything is better than raising your grades to make sure you graduate, get out of high school, get a job, support yourself in the future or _better yet_ your family in the future?"

Tweek titled his head looking up at the ceiling with a small nod. "You know what? Smoking in the bathroom sounds a hell of a lot better than _any_ of that." He let out a small hum then looked back at Craig with a smile. "No?"

Craig was slightly stunned by the spunky male, but made sure not to show it. "Oh yeah. I love that idea."

"Really?" Tweek tested, leaning forward more. His eyes narrowing in doubt at the answer.

"Want to know what would be even better?" Craig asked also coming closer from across the table.

"Hm?"

Craig smirked. "You and a couple more blondes sucking my dick." He then leaned back, resting his head back against hands. A laugh sitting in his throat from the face Tweek displayed.

Tweek's mouth momentarily opened in shock before he bolted up from his seat to slam his hands down on the table. His face was red from embarrassment and anger, the bright color flushing across his cheeks and all the way to the tips of his ears.

Tweek pointed a finger at Craig's face. "I've had it with you and it's barely been a minute."

Craig stood from his chair to also lean over the table at Tweek, his hand batting down the finger in his face. "More like I've had it with you."

"Don't slap my hand!" Tweek said in protest while massaging the back of his hit hand before slapping them back down to the table.

"Don't put your hand in my face!"

"Don't request me to preform fellatio!"

Craig let out a mean laugh at him. "What the fuck? Was that the word of the day professor?"

"No the word of the day is 'ubiquitous' and it perfectly describes you. Being used everywhere at once!" Tweek spit back, his hands clenching to fists on the table.

"Oh you are too unreal!" Craig said to himself shaking his head before he looked back at Tweek with a bitter stare. "You are actually the worst! I couldn't get a worse person!"

"Oh no. I'm not the bad one here!" Tweek said walking around the table to step right up to Craig. "You're the one who couldn't keep their shit together for one more semester and now needs a tutor!"

Craig took the final step between them to stare down at Tweek with a heavy glare, after a moment of no response he finally just said with just as much heat. "Go fuck yourself!"

"Go choke!"

"Poindexter!"

"Asshole!"

"Nerd!"

"Man-whore!"

A beeping sounded around them from Tweek's phone, the alarm making both boys look towards his messenger bag on the table.

"What's that?" Craig asked with the same irate tone they were just yelling at each other with.

Tweek walked away from Craig with his lips in a thin line. "It's the timer for the end of the session. You can go now, but tomorrow will be the actual time." Tweek started to form his stuff back into angry little piles to be put away. "I made it short so you could get better adjusted."

Craig grabbed his backpack from the floor and slung it over his shoulder. "Oh yeah I'm feeling real adjusted Twerp."

He then left the room with a slam of the door leaving Tweek alone and frustrated. Tweek grabbed his bag and let out a muffled scream into the fake leathery fabric.

"Fucking insufferable prick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean for this chapter to be so short, but the next one will have more **meat**


	4. Calm Before The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update. I had to get a new computer, but I'm back in business now! :)

"That fucking twink!"

Craig kicked over a trashcan in the alleyway, the tin clinging against the alley's brick wall with an unsavory shrill. The noise hurting his ears and only making him feel angrier in his moment of rage. He snarled as he trekked through the dark backstreet towards one of his usual hang out spots called Skeeter's.

It was a run down bar that could be compared to the restaurant equivalent of getting hand-me-down clothes from a distant cousin. It was secluded within the inner walls of bigger and more booming businesses such as Dee's Meats and an overpopulated Whole Foods. The place fit the definition hole in a wall perfectly, the inner workings of the bar seeming to look like someone took a stick of dynamite and blew a hole in a brick building. The front door of the place looked like a back door, the only telling of it being the front door was the dying neon sign above the entrance. The last few letters on the sign were on their last days, so often times the sign would read as 'Skeet'.

Craig swung open the front door, his sour mood not having left from the small walk he had to the bar. His eyes trailed over the stragglers that were slumped over in the sticky booths. He curled a lip in disgust at the man who was either playing a phone game that involved him shaking his device up and down aggressively or he was having himself a very personal time. He walked past the disturbing display and plopped himself on a stool that squealed a complaint at the sudden inhabitant.

"Chef!" Craig yelled out. "You here?"

A large man came out from behind the wall of different tap beers, wiping his hands on a oddly stained rag with a jolly smile. Almost like his surroundings weren't a deadbeat bar, but instead a nice hotel that only had a four-star rating because of the old cranky desk attendant that had been there too long to let go.

"Hello Craig!" Chef carelessly threw his rag behind him and walked forward to the counter to reach underneath and pull out a bowl of peanuts that looked older than Craig. "Want some nuts?"

Craig gave an eye to the same bowl of peanuts he has been offered for the past couple years of knowing Chef and shook his head with a small wave of the hands. "I'm good. I ate."

"I'll get you one of these days with those peanuts." Chef gave a hearty chuckle and waved a finger at the teen and the dismal of his cherished bowl. He put it back under the counter in the same place for later use. 

"What can I do you for kiddo?"

Craig gave a huff of air and shook his head as he thought about the 5 foot 8 disaster that had suddenly appeared into his life. "I'll tell you what you can do. You can kill this tutor my mom got me."

Chef laughed. "A tutor?" He then gave a louder chortle that made him throw his head back at the teen and his misfortune. "What did you do to get yourself one of those Tuckery?"

"I don't know... I said 'fuck off' to a teacher?" Craig took his hat off to ruffle his hair. A small headache started to develop from the idea of Tweek and having to see him everyday after school and for two hours on a Saturday. "I didn't think it was getting so bad that she felt the need to get me a designated fun ruiner."

Chef saw a man walk in and went under the counter to pull out a pint glass, preparing the cup to be filled with anything from the tap. "I don't know Craig. You have said she's been getting on you more lately." He then looked at the depressed looking man that sat a few seats away from Craig and pointed at their most popular brew. The man nodded and Chef proceeded to fill up the glass with the chosen wheat drink before sliding it over to the hunched over customer. 

He then came back to Craig to resume the conversation. "All I know is, if you were my kid, I would have beaten the shit out of you a long time ago."

Craig rolled his eyes, but didn't suppress the laugh in his throat. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard this from you enough times."

"Well did she at least give you a reason for the Tutor?" 

"Yeah." Craig sighed. "I mean... I'm close to not graduating, but... I always pull it together in the end!" He gave a glare towards the finger he was currently tapping on the slightly sticky counter top. "So I don't know what the big deal is."

Chef frowned at the teen. "Craig you hate school. Don't get stuck in it for another year." 

"I know. I know." Craig groaned. "Like I said, I alway pull it together in the end." 

"What are your grades?" Chef asked, putting one of his hands on his hip. 

Craig hunched a bit, his shoulders giving a lame shrug as he thought about the repeated letter between E and G in the alphabet he saw on his report card. "Well... it's all F's."

"What!" Chef exclaimed, his eyes widening at the news. "They usually aren't that bad."

"Hey!" Craig furrowed his brows as he thought about a rebuttal, the small feeling of shame creeping into his stomach again and making his fingers twitch. "I had one B!"

Chef gave him a glare, leaning down to look at the boy and see if he was going to tell the truth or not. "And what was it in?" 

Craig grumbled a bit before he spit out. "It was in gym."

"I thought so." Chef said with a shake of the head. "I mean come on Craig. You're never this bad."

Craig glared the bartender. "If I wanted to get lectured, I would have gone home, Chef."

"I'm just saying. I don't want you wasting another year at some shit school."

"I said layoff, Chef." Craig said through his teeth slightly. 

Chef put his hands up innocently. "Fine Mr. Sensitive, but just tell me about this Tutor. She cute?" He asked with a tilt of the head and a quick raise of the eyebrows. 

"It's a boy."

"That's never stopped you." Chef said with a small amount of smugness. "He cute?"

Craig thought about the annoying blonde and scoffed. "I wouldn't notice if he was. He's a complete loser."

"How so?"

"I walk in and make it real obvious that I don't plan to do these dumb tutoring sessions, but this ass wipe makes it his job to be all cordial and tries to shake my hand." Craig looked off into the different tap beers as he thought about the interaction. His face scrunching up at the memory. "Then I tell him straight out that I don't fuck with him or whatever I was signed up for. And wanna know what he does?"

Chef lets out an inquisitive. "Hm?"

Craig leans in from the counter and pressed a finger into the fake wood surface with an angry force. "He has the audacity to question me about what I'd be doing instead of his dumb helping hands sesh."

The bartender from behind the counter could barely contain his smile as he listened to the story. "And what did you say?"

"I said that he could suck my dick!" Craig flushed out, the heat of Tweek and how he spoke to him obviously not gone from earlier. "Then he has the nerve to get up in my face about it. I mean the guy is half my size. Who the fuck does he think he is?"

Chef finally let loose the the smile he was holding in and shook his head at Craig. "Oh boy. I can't wait to see how this goes."

Craig looked him up and down, slanting his mouth at the reaction from Chef. "What are you smiling about?"

"He got you, didn't he?" Chef asked looking at Craig with a knowing look but the look falling on a confused eyes.

"What do you mean?" 

"He stumped you." Chef let out a laugh. "You probably thought he was going to be like the rest, but _no_."

Craig could only watch him in confusion. "What the fuck are you on about?"

"You've been matched Tucker." Chef smirked at the dark haired teen and shook his head. "This boy is going to hand your ass to you. I feel it."

Craig grabbed his hat from the counter and got up. The offense from the comment jolting him from his seat to look at Chef with pure malice. He pulled his hat on by the flaps and shook his head. The thought of the small boy that knows random words like _'ubiquitous'_ , wears pinks sweaters, shakes hands with people they just met and has a word of the day could never get the best of him. 

Craig left a couple bills on the counter top like he usually does for Chef and left shouting. "I wipe the floor with him before he hands me anything!"


	5. A Jacket For Your Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I could not come up with more ways to say cigarette is my only warning for this chapter.

"This asshole better not be late again." Tweek said to himself as he walked to the student rooms. Taking his time to walk to the room he thought about the delinquent boy and how he might need to take a different approach with Craig, because they aren't going to get anywhere with cursing at one another. He desperately wanted this session and all of their sessions to be productive for the sake of his sanity and Craig's grades-Not that he specifically cared about Craig nor his grades, but seeing people with all the tools to succeed, but not succeed never left Tweek with a good taste in his mouth-But there doesn't seem to be a good way to go about this anytime Tweek thinks about it. The best he could do is keep an open mind this session and hope for the best. 

Tweek finally reached the door and sighed. "It's okay. Maybe him being late again will be a good thing and I'll have some time to myself before the session." 

He went to reach for his keys to open the room, but he saw that the door was already unlocked. The keyhole looked like it had been scratched at by some metal contraption, the hole for the key was etched wider and made the current keys in Tweek's bag useless. He furrowed his brows as he gave a small push to the door with the tips of his fingers. The door swung open with ease to show Craig sitting in Tweek's spot with his arms crossed and feet up on the table. He had a small smile on his face that actually looked quite pleased to see his Tutor. 

Tweek's mouth gaped opened then closed in confusion. Barely getting out the correct words he wanted to say as he looked between Craig and the unlocked door. "Wh-Wh-H-How d-did you get in here?"

"I picked the lock." Craig said while putting his feet down from the table and reaching into his pocket. "You were taking a while to get here."

Tweek scoffed and waved his arms in the air as his light-hearted approach started to fly out the window. "I'm on time!" He then shut the door as not to draw more attention to the seemingly broken lock before walking in a small circle like a shaken dog. "What is wrong with you? You can't just go picking locks." Tweek then stopped his circles to jiggle the handle of the door that was no longer working to lock and unlock. "This is destruction of property!"

"I'm sorry Teach. I was just _so_ excited to learn." Craig said sarcastically as he pulled out his golden colored pack of cigarettes. The reaction to his little stunt sitting nicely in the 'Raise Hell' folder in his head. 

Tweek caught sight of the pack in his hands and glared. " _Oh no_. You are _not_ smoking in here." He then walked over to Craig and snatched the single cigarette out of his hand. "Do you respect anything! If not school then maybe yourself!" He held up the offending item like it was burning him as he questioned. "Do you know the damage these things do to your lungs and heart!" He opened up the window and tossed the unlit stick out from the second story. "I mean could you get any worse?"

"Oh _relax_. They're Marlboro Gold." Craig pulled another stick from the pack while grabbing his lighter from his bag. He shrugged slightly as he held the lighter up to the stick dangling in his mouth. "They have less nicotine or something like that." 

Tweek grabbed the contraband from Craig again and led it to the same fate as the previous cancer stick. "Um _no_. They _don't_. They just market them like there's less, but in reality it's all the same!"

Craig glared up at the blonde that had thrown out, now, two good cigarettes and took out another from his pack. "Either way, I don't care. I'm going to smoke them."

Tweek watched him try to light up his third cigarette and grabbed it, horrified by the insatiable need that Craig seemed to possess to smoke something so disgusting in school of all places. His eyes then fell to the pack sticking out of Craig's pocket and snatched it, holding close to him as Craig stood up to try and retrieve it. 

"Give them back." Craig grumbled, his voice low and threatening. 

Tweek cradled the pack and stick closer to him. "No! I wouldn't have cared that much if you had just done it anywhere else!" Tweek took a step back towards the window as Craig stepped forward. "But you had the audacity to purposefully do it in front of me just to be an asshole."

"Wow A+ for reading between the lines." Craig said with a superficially sweet tone before it dropped an octave to go back to his voices menacing charm. "Now give me my shit back."

With those final words Tweek threw all the contents out the window in a quick motion just to make sure he wasn't suddenly going to be charged by Craig. Tweek watched them fall from the second story window with a rarely large amount of satisfaction for two reasons. One being the thought of helping a teen fight back against a raging nicotine addiction warmed his little student council heart and second, the thought of pissing off the same guy that told him to 'go fuck himself' gave him a little fluttering feeling of joy in his stomach. 

As Tweek was about to say something, that would equally educate Craig on the dangers of smoking and probably annoy the living shit out of him, his nose caught scent of something noisome. 

He looked up to where the atrocious smell was coming from and saw Craig looking over his shoulder. His eyes were peering out the window to where all of his nicotine had previously been thrown. He looked on with uninterested eyes and a slanted mouth that hung a lit cigarette in it. Tweek was once again left speechless and baffled by the male. The offender then caught Tweek's outraged eye with a smile, giving a little laugh at the way the blonde's mouth hung with anger. He then stepped forward to lean into Tweek's space, placing one hand on the wall next to the small male. 

"You know." Craig took the cigarette out of his mouth and looked at it with a smile, amused by how much power this small stick had over the emotions of this boy. "It's a good thing I always have a spare on me." He then took a long drag of the stick and blew the smoke right into Tweek's scrunched up face. 

Tweek squinted his eyes, not turning his head in time as the puff of intoxicated air hit his face. The slight amount of smoke that went up his nose burned his throat, making him cough to try and get the foreign vapor out of his lungs. Tweek waved his hand in front of him in hopes of ventilating some proper breathing air for himself. This being one of the final straws. His kind-hearted nature he wanted to bring to this session and hopefully the rest of the week deflating like a leaking balloon. 

"Okay Craig." Tweek said as he grabbed the stick out of his mouth. "You want to be a dick about this." He then glowered at the male. "So can I."

Tweek took a step forward turning the stick around in his hand so the lit part was pointing towards Craig. The taller male pondered if Tweek was about to take his own puff of the very thing he had just been hating on. Then a pretty rumble of a laugh emitted itself from the boy in front of him. 

"I heard that when fake leather burns it smells like burning plastic." Tweek said delicately as he inspected the jacket Craig was wearing, his eyes tracing over the lapels with extra attention. He then looked up at Craig with doe-like eyes. "Did you know that?"

Craig give a frown along with a small glare. "No." 

"Well did you know that real leather smells like burning hair?"

Craig once again just stands over the male with a frown. "Are you gonna take a go at it or what?" 

Tweek scoffs, offended at the accusation he would ever do a thing. He then plunges the butt of the cigarette into the thickest layer of the jacket, directly onto the lapel. A part where whatever is left behind could be displayed in its own little roadside attraction. Making sure not to inflict any real damage onto Craig as he twisted the burning out filter into the garment. 

Craig's mouth opened in shock at the scene in front of him, the smell of burning hair trailing up to his nose from the intersection of hot cigarette and leather. He looked at Tweek's still innocent looking eyes, they looked like they were watching a mildly sad part of a kids show and not the massacre of Craig's prized jacket. 

Tweek gave a fake sadden sigh and frowned. "Smells like burnt hair." Tweek then looked up at Craig with an equally fake look of sympathy. "Guess it was real leather." Tweek then flicked the bud out the window to add to the pile of nicotine that was collecting outside. " _Tough_."

Craig stayed in his spot as he looked at the small hole that had been burned into his jacket. His eyes not fully seeing the burn and processing it as a real hole. His mind not believing his prized jacket had just been ruined by this nerdy gremlin that had just (to put it in Chef's terms) handed him his ass. 

Craig sat in his room bouncing his leg up and down in a jittery frenzy as he tried to think of a way to get back at Tweek for what he did to his jacket. He couldn't do anything drastic like beat the shit out of the snarky tutor, it would go against his own personal code of picking on someone smaller than him. Also the blonde would probably snitch on him faster than Craig could say 'hippopotamus'. 

He was feeling desperate to get back at him in a short time span. He usually had his worst ideas when he was feeling desperate like right now. One's that led him to think that Red from his history class was a good option to screw before he realized that she's his cousin. He backpedaled real hard and real quick after his Mom saw a picture of Red on his phone and pointed out that she a relative. He was beyond lucky that nothing ever went further than a couple flirting sessions in the hallways. Although Thanksgiving last year was his least favorite because of the awkward eye contact that occurred between him and the distant relative. 

He got up from his bed with a disgruntled groan, deciding to just take a shower to better think over the situation more, but his foot was poked by something sharp as he stepped forward. He lifted his pricked foot and saw he had stepped on a white pin-back button. He wasn't sure where it came from or where he got it from, but he knew that it just gave him the perfect comeback to the hole in his jacket.

"Oh my god Craig! What happened to your jacket?"

Craig laughed as he noticed Tweek walking down the hall towards the student room, the timing of the girl's comment coming at the perfect time. "Oh yeah I forgot to put my button on for it."

The girl tilted her head to try and see the button he was pulling out. Tweek who was just barely hearing the conversation also seemed to turn his gaze to the left where this scene was happening. 

Craig then pinned on the white button through the thick of the leather with a practiced precision. He then lifted his eyes to smirk up at his Tutor that was currently passing by. His eyes gazing directly at Tweek's as he passed by, wanting to see the full reaction of his little gag. 

Tweek's eyes squinted as he passed by, trying to read the small pin that had been scrawled on with black pen. His eyes then widened in surprise and his mouth fell open in offense at the words on the pin. 

" _My bitch did this_?" The girl giggled. "I don't get it."

Craig let out a laughing breath and smiled down at the girl. "It means exactly what it says. My bitch did this." He then gave a reassuring pat to the pin that had been written on with black pen, an arrow pointing directly to the burn hole in his jacket and the words above it saying 'My bitch did this'.

Tweek stormed towards him with a frustrated growl and grabbed onto the jacket in attempts to get it off of the proud button-wearer. Trying his best to quite literally rip the piece of clothing on him, and in the context of the situation, only playing to Craig's false narrative. The delinquent couldn't contain himself from giving small bouts of laughter due to Tweek's rage and just let the small boy continue to try and undress him.

"Whoa! Easy Babe! Wait til' we're somewhere private first!" Craig said as Tweek harassed him. 

Tweek's mouth only gaped further at the exclamation. He then reached for the student room door and opened it to push Craig in. The girl gasped at the actions being shown in front of her, blushing a deep red cheek to cheek. The assumptions being made based on the pin, Craig's words and Tweek's reaction caused the scene occurring in front of her seem more rated R than it actually was. 

Tweek gave a final tug to the collar of Craig's jacket to pull him into the student room, the taller male let out a small strangled noise as he was pulled in. The door then slammed closed leaving the girl in a state of embarrassment and shock at what had just happened. 

Tweek then re-opened the door and said out to the girl with an scowl. "We're not having intercourse!"

Tweek came to school the next day with the jacket in hand, hoping to catch Craig and give him the jacket before their session. 

He wandered into the lunchroom a little aimlessly for longer than he would like to admit. He hadn't been well acquainted with the room nor the people because of his indifference to the place. The blonde didn't like sitting in the lunchroom because it was always too loud and the people in his lunch usually being too immature for Tweek to stand. Most of his lunch days Tweek could be found in the library or student council room. Although when he was in the student council room he would still feel a little bit like an outcast because of the cliques that tended to develop in the club. Hating and being an enemy of one of the more popular girls at school never got you very far in those situations. 

After a final attempt of searching by the vending machines, his eyes found the tall teen leaning against a wall talking to a different girl than yesterday. The constant stream of girls Craig had left Tweek confused. He was a complete asshole, yet girls still found it in their heart to wanna have sex with him. But he did have to admit, Craig without the dumb leather jacket and just a t-shirt and jeans looked better than his previous greaser version of himself.

"Hey, I fixed your jacket for you." Tweek said throwing the folded garment at the head of the delinquent currently trying to woo a woman. 

Craig took the jacket from over his head and gave a pointed look to his tutor. He just looked as stone faced as he usually did when he talked to Craig, but he seemed to be waiting for something as he held the jacket. Craig eyed just the front of the jacket noticing he had in fact fixed the jacket, quite perfectly actually, but he wasn't going to admit that. He looked up and saw Tweek still standing there, he wasn't quite sure what the he could be waiting for so he gave him a frown.

"If you're waiting for a 'thank you' you're not getting one." Craig said as he started to put his arms through the holes of the arms. 

Tweek gave a small smile at that. "Oh no. No thank you needed." He then walked off without a further word, the knowledge that he had gotten the jacket on Craig without him noticing the back of it was thank you enough for the repair. The small giggles and laughs surrounding Craig fueled Tweek even more than a 'thank you' could have anyways. 

Tweek had in fact fixed his jacket. He used an article he had seen online that told him to use an identical piece of leather, fabric glue, scissors and some cardboard. It was a fun arts and crafts project that Tweek was able to enjoy and indulge in, despite the fact he was doing it for his literal evil antithesis.

The small catch to him fixing the jacket for this devil-child was that he was also able to bedazzle the back of the piece of clothing with sparkly pink rhinestones. The fake crystals spelling out in big letters 'My bitch's'. Then beneath the text, a large shimmering arrow pointed down to his backside to clearly state what was belonging to Tweek. 

Tweek cackled to himself as he walked down the hallway to the library. Maybe tutoring this hardheaded man-child won't be so bad. 

He couldn't wait for today's session.


	6. Party Foul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I realized that I made a typo last chapter and said that Tweek couldn't wait for Saturday, but I meant to put 'todays session' so this chapter is a continuation of Friday. :)

Tweek sat in his sit with an anxious jitter, he wanted to see Craig's reaction and for him to come to the room with it displayed fully on his face. The only problem with that want was Craig was late. More late than he usually was, which isn't saying much because it's only been four days of dealing with the recluse. 

He opened his phone to occupy his time, briefly checking his emails for any virtual coupons or surprise updates from student council. Only a few sparse letters about the upcoming repaving of the staff parking lot and to make sure no students accidentally wandered into the wet cement during the renovation. 

He then switched to looking through social media. His guilty pleasure of body positive snapchat stories roping him in with the title 'I Don't Need To Hide My Insecurities From The Stage'. The story was something to be expected; a woman who had problems being comfortable in her own skin because a 'problem' that seemingly meant nothing to her existence, but in the end it was resolved with her she realizing she could be a stripper despite the cellulite. It was cheesy and oversold, yet every time the positive articles appeared on his dashboard for Snapchat he would tap on it. The warm feeling he would get inside being too good to pass up each time. 

After Chelsea realized she was beautiful, Tweek found himself swiping through random stories of classmates that he has accumulated through the group project horror stories and failed connections. They were all the same, a constant reminder that Tweek was sitting here on a Friday after school waiting for a boy who was probably purposefully making him wait this long because he sewed sequins to the back of a prized jacket.

With a sigh Tweek swiped onto the next story, but this one caught his eyes and lit a fire under him. His rage building somewhere deep in his stomach and curling into his mouth, his lips drawn taut over his teeth as he stared on. His thumb having to repeatedly tap the left side of his phone every ten seconds to make sure he was seeing the person in the video correctly. His vision honing in on a blue chullo and yellow puff ball that was throwing back a shot, his eyes recognizing the t-shirt and jeans he had seen earlier today and glaring. 

He had waited almost an hour for someone to go out and drink. 

Tweek checked to see if this snap user had their locations on with a disgruntled growl, his finger tapping on his phone in a way too angry for the screen that was subconsciously wanting to crack. He spotted the little blip where the person was throwing their house party, his eyes memorizing the intersection of Maple Street and Herrick as his destination. Getting up from his seat with a vengeance. 

As Tweek was packing up to storm out of the room, a happy face entered. 

"Hey Tweek, I was wonder- _Woah_ -You okay?" 

Tweek slung his bag over his shoulder. "No Token. That bastard stood me up."

"Oh... So you're not doing anything then?" The male said stepping closer to his friend to try and converse more. A question he's been riddled with for weeks trying to come out from his mouth, the words sitting on the tip of his tongue with an unsavory hint of unforseeable rejection. 

"Oh I am." Tweek said as he grabbed his friends arm, his eyes glaring up at Token with a fire the male hadn't seen since the Great Bake Sale war during first semester with Wendy. Tweek signed up to make Lemon Bars, but Wendy purposefully made a big deal of also making Lemon Bars just to show him up. So obviously the next course of action was Tweek to become a legendary baker and show her up with his Lemon Bars, which is what he did. "I'm gonna go get that bitch."

Tweek proceeded to pull Token along with him as he ranted. "He's so infuriating! First he tries to pick a fight with me the _first_ day he walks into the goddamn room! Then the next he's blowing smoke in my face! Ugh!"

Token tripped forward as the raging tyrant in front of him brought him to an unknown location. "I understand Tweek, but why don't we forget him and do something else?" The male felt his face flush as his question started to rumble down the slide of sound called his tongue. "We could go out and get something to eat or watch a-"

"No." Token felt his heart punch itself slightly at the answer. "We have to go get him now or he won't learn that he can't get away with wasting my time!" That punch lifted slightly at the explanation, but he still felt belittled by the delinquent that wasn't even present. Like Craig had taken a valuable time slot that he wanted to claim as his own with Tweek. 

"Well maybe _after_ we could do something?" Token said his shoulders hunching slightly in fear of the verbal abuse a refusal for such an offer would feel like. 

Tweek kept fast-walking forward, but turned his head around to smile at his friend. 

The sunlight coming in from the school's windows hitting against Tweek's lashes and hair like mirror, the light bouncing from the blonde features into Token's eyes in a blinding fashion. Almost hurting the retinas as he gazed on to watch Tweek blink with those beautifully long lashes. The way his eyes had softened from their anger to give a completely authentic and compelling smile to Token amazed the smitten boy. 

A smile completely crafted for him. 

Something Craig could never have or take from him, no matter how angry he made Tweek.

"Sure."

"I'll beat your ass!"

"No! I'm gonna beat your ass!"

"Not if I beat your ass first!"

The inhuman sound of someone punching against someone else slapping itself through the air as the opposing sides fought for the truth of the war. 

Who will beat who's ass first? 

Craig sat on the couch with a lopsided grin as he watched the two dudes duke out a fight that had been started over one of them stealing the others wallet, but unbeknownst to them Craig had been sitting on the missing item for the past thirty minutes with the intent of seeing a fight tonight. The days events of being embarrassed in the cafeteria left him needed more than a drink. So he decided to get back at Tweek in a way that would make him feel the most infuriated. Making him wait around. 

After the short few days of discussing absolutely nothing with the short boy Craig learned that Tweek can be impatient at the best of times and has something for everything. When Craig had taken the homework Tweek had working on and ripped it to be an asshole, the boy simply gave him a raised eyebrow and pulled out another version of the sheet. So the curiosity in Craig wanted to see how Tweek would prepare for the inevitable: Craig skipping a session. 

The two guys in front of the delinquent that had been hitting at one another with drunken fists, seemed to be in less of a brawl now and instead a hugging standoff of sorts. The two males leaning on each other in a drunken tiredness, their arms swinging in the remembrance of a punch. 

An orange mass then fell down on the couch next to Craig. "Hey Tucker, wanna pipe?"

Craig dragged his eyes away from the 'fight' to look at the person offering him a seemingly decent offer of free weed, but he didn't trust it. "What's the catch?"

"Gotta get some girls to come." Kenny said with a smirk. 

Craig laughed. "You act like that's hard."

"It is when people think you're a crack addict." Kenny laughed putting a hand on Craig's shoulder. 

Craig shrugged off the hand. "Well you are."

A disturbance then entered the room, like everyone in the house from the basement where he was seated all the way to the top of the two story home had been stunned and stopped in their mingling. The vibes of relaxation and intoxication had been swept up and there was now an undercurrent of obedience and utter rage. 

Then he heard it. 

The new force in the home, like a murderer in the night started to uproot all the fun and stab it out of the house. Puncturing out all the joy and care-free nature in the home room by room, floor by floor, wreaking havoc and murdering the good times of everyone the culprit passed. It was on the first floor just above him, the music on the floor having gone quiet and the sounds of people mingling from moments ago changing into indistinct shouts from a small group.

Then it stopped, as if struck by an idea or epiphany the commotion turned quiet and the light feet on the creaking floors turned towards the basement door. 

Craig furrowed his brows, a small hunch coming to thought about who the disturbance could be. "There's no way."

The door opened the light from the first floor illuminating a sleek and daunting shadow down the stairway to the ill-lit basement.

"How would he?"

Then like the shadow came to life as it stormed in methodic and calculated steps, a pair of long, jean covered, legs descended before a white sweater with overly large sleeves appeared. then the flaming face of a blonde appeared. Despite the rather cute appearance of the boy in his soft looking outfit, his eyes were hooded in displeasure and the tight lined mouth with nothing but the slightest of curls to the lips gave Craig permission to feel slightly nervous. 

Being chased down by someone wasn't new, no of course not, but the fact that he didn't know what Tweek was going to do when he got him was the problem that sat with Craig. 

" _Oh shit_."

Kenny looked at the pissed blonde storming towards them and gave shocked stare. "Who's that?"

Tweek then towered over Craig as he looked down at him on the couch, his eyes squinting more as they looked down at the male. Craig could hear the choir sing their dramatic hum's and ah's as Tweek stared him down. He was half expecting the world to crumble around them and for him to fall in a volcano with the look he was receiving from Tweek. 

"That's my Tutor."

Tweek then reached under Craig's hat to pinch the unseen earlobe and pull on it like reigns of a horse. He then proceeded to march Craig through the people that had been in front of them. The blonde parting the sea of people with just a glare to the crowd, the drunk teens not wanting to deal with the wrath of a boy who had _dared_ to hunt down and pull Craig Tucker out of a party by the ear. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Craig yelled to Tweek as he was pulled by the ear, his struggling dying down as they walked. Each time he went to try and squirm out of the hold Tweek would pinch harder to keep him in line. 

Tweek scoffed as he brought him to the front door. "What's wrong with me? You're an insufferable prick that has no respect for me or my time!"

"And you're an uptight killjoy who can't take a fucking chill-pill!" Craig said tripping over the steps out the front door, the height difference being too clear from the way he was being pulled down by the ear by Tweek. Craig's head trailing just below Tweek's as they walked. 

Tweek released the male once they were outside of the house and glared daggers at him. "I'm not uptight! You're just reckless!"

The people who had been in the party peeked out the windows to see the fight between the giant of a male in both story and size, and the small mouse of a male that is yelling at the behemoth. 

"At least I know how to have a fucking life!" Craig said taking a step towards the boy. 

Tweek saw the step and raised him another step. "Yeah sure, a life... a real _short_ one." He snorted slightly. "Can't imagine you living long between the smoking and drinking."

"You're really asking for an ass beating." Craig said completely stepping over Tweek, his chin almost hitting his chest to look down at the squint-eyed male. 

Token who had just been waiting by his car, because he didn't think it was a good idea to go in the house at all, finally came to back up Tweek. He placed a single hand on Tweek's shoulder to try and aid him in not getting his ass beat. "Okay Tweek, I think he got the point. 'Don't waste your time'. Now let's go."

Tweek swiped off the hand. "Butt _out_ , Token."

"Should listen to your friend." Craig smirked. "Don't want to have to beat two asses."

"We're not scared of you asshole." Tweek remarked with harsh poke to the chest in front of him.

Token gulped slightly, grabbing onto Tweek's oversized sleeve in another attempt to pull him away from the dangerous situation. "I don't know. I'm pretty scared." 

Tweek scoffed to give Token a look. "Really Token? Not helping."

"Oh shit." Craig said, his eyes finally leaving the green-blue ones in front of him to stare out into the distance at artificial red, blue and white ones.

Tweek looked back up at Craig, rolling his eyes. "Now what?"

Craig took Tweek's shoulders to turn him towards the police cars coming down the street to the house party. Someone must have called the cops for either a noise complaint or that someone was scared at the idea of Craig accidentally murdering Tweek or vice versa. Either options being completely plausible in the moment. 

"Oh shit." Tweek echoed as he saw the cars.

Token caught glance of what the two males were staring at and his eyes bulged out. "Okay, now can we go?"

Tweek nodded. Token got into his car and began to drive away from the scene in a hurry, Tweek was about to follow, but his arm was grabbed by a large hand wrapped around his bicep. 

"You have to drive me out of here." Craig said turning Tweek back to him. 

" _What!_ Why would I do that?" Tweek said trying to pull his arm from Craig's grasp. 

"I've been drinking. I can't drive myself out of here."

Tweek scoffed. "Oh now you have morals?"

Craig just stared at him, the same unanswered question lingering in the air, the approaching police cars sirens rising through the air like a toxic rain cloud, causing all the teens within the party house to scramble out and away from the poisonous fumes of the law. Tweek tapped his foot, pouting his mouth to the side. Was it worth it to save this delinquent, probably not, but Tweek was going to make it worth it.

"No more skipping sessions?"

Craig rolled his eyes, but answered with a needy desperation to get out of the damning situation. "Ugh! Yes! Fine!"

"And no more dumb hijinks?" Tweek asked more seriously. 

"Holy shit! Yes! Let's go!" Craig said seeing the police starting to slow down to stop in front of the house. Craig grabbed onto Tweek's waist trying to pull him to the car-assuming the one that had been parked in front of Token's was his-but Tweek slapped his hand away quickly.

The two boys ran to the car, Craig going to the passenger side seat and settling in the car as well as an atom bomb settles in a city. The tall male's head gracing the ceiling with the presence of a yellow puff ball and blue felt. Tweek then sat in the driver seat just staring at the open road ahead of him waiting for something that didn't seem to be coming. 

"What are you doing?" Craig yelled at Tweek, the idea of police coming to get them obviously not dawning on Tweek like it did Craig. 

"Your seatbelt." Tweek said with a stern look. "Put it on."

"You've go to be fucking kidding me." Craig then clicked his belt with a groan. "Now drive!"

Tweek then shifted his gear and slammed his foot on the gas pedal, the car blasting off from its spot that had been 10 feet from being taken up by the police. Craig grabbed onto the hand rail that hung from the ceiling of the car, his knuckles turning white from the amount of pressure he was applying to hold onto the safety device. The car reaching the first turn and painting Craig against the left side of the car with a squish of angular velocity. Tweek spun the wheel expertly, bringing hand over hand as he turned the steering wheel. The sirens behind them not fading as they drove, instead the persistent automated yelling seemed to be chasing after them. 

"Fuck! Now I'm gonna have a police record." Tweek said to himself as he was about to slow down, but Craig pushed on his knee to keep him speeding. 

"No you're not. You just have to make it to Harper Street and there's a little cut in the alleys you can squeeze through. The police will never notice." Craig said, pointing out to the vague direction of the street he was referencing. 

Tweek side-eyed the male, slightly perturbed by the criminal deviance that Craig seemed to possess. "You sound experienced." 

"Do you want to get caught or not?" Craig said with a glare to Tweek. 

Tweek rolled his eyes and accelerated, knowing if they get caught either way he was going to be in some kind of record ruining trouble, so speeding is at the bottom of his worries list. The car behind them noticed the sudden acceleration and raced after them harder, houses whipping past them at a faster speed than they had been a moment ago. 

"Pull over! O-Or... I'll do something!" A man yelled through a megaphone. 

Craig turned back to look at the man in the police cruiser behind them, the flaps of his hat in the wind almost covering up the man in dark sunglasses and the blue brimmed police hat. Craig laughed slightly. "Hey if we get caught, the bright side is we have Officer Barbrady."

Tweek made another sharp turn, causing Craig to once again plaster against his side of the car at the unexpected swing of the automobile. Although this time he was better able to brace himself and let his shoulder thud against the window. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"It means that he's dumb as shit." Craig then peeled himself from the side he had been smushed into and relaxed a little, leaning back into his seat with small smirk. "He doesn't even know how to put on the handcuffs." 

Tweek snorted at the new demeanor Craig had taken on. "Yeah okay, don't get too comfy hot shot." 

The boys continued to speed down the suburb streets of South Park, the black and white cow cars the police drove in trailing them, but slowing getting some distance. The homes were slowing turning into shops and stores, they had run out of the suburbs and were not approaching the lower end of the town. Even though there was the thought of impending doom on both of the males in the car, they both couldn't deny the slight amount of joy they were getting from the recluse activity they were participating in together. 

"Here!" Craig then pointed off to the left in front of Tweek. "Go in that alley."

"Are you kidding me?" Tweek fumed. The turn for this small section between two old buildings being a stretch even for the manic driver Tweek thought himself to be. Also being slightly miffed that Craig had decided to tell him what was happening ten seconds before he needed to turn. 

"No, I'm not." Craig said 'helping' Tweek turn the wheel off to the left to make sure he didn't miss the chance. 

The car slid in with a scrape against the brick wall. The loud screeching of metal against the jagged terrain of the building ringing through both of the male's ears. The paint from the side of the car being left against the side of the building as the car slid forward. Like the bitter ex it was the wall left it's own messaged into the side of Tweek's car. Then finally the car stopped with a press of the break and a lurch forward. It gave a large breath out through the exhaust, almost seeming to collapse like an weary race runner and both boys fell back into their seats. 

Tweek let out a shaky breath, both hands on the steering wheel still. The shock not evident on his face, but fully present within him as he looked through the rearview mirror to watch the police car pass them by completely. Having to secretly thank Craig one day for the handy tip of this hidden hole in the town. 

"You good?" Craig asked the unmoving driver, his eyes lingering on the shaking hands on the steering wheel. 

Tweek nodded before letting out a breathy laugh, his head shaking at what just happened. "I just sped away from the police." He then put his hands on his face and put his head back against the seat to laugh into them some more. The exhale of breath and sound, trapping itself into the cocoon that had been made by Tweek's hands, warming his face. 

"Yeah." Craig started to laugh with him. "Yeah you did."

The boys sat there laughing with each other at the absurdity of everything that had just happened. Everything from Tweek hunting him down to a party to them running from the incompetent police called Officer Barbrady. The air seeming to lift its intensity into something more peaceful, something that allowed both boys to relax and take a breath from what had just been happening. And that's what they did, they sat back for a moment in content silence with one another. Just happy to be for the most part Scott-free with the police and any record damaging problems. 

Then it struck, the reality of the situation dawned on the only one who cared. The air once again dropping, but this time to something more upsetting. 

" _Oh god_." Tweek moaned to himself, his hands sliding down his face to rest in his lap in worried balls of flesh. "I can only imagine what my car looks like right now."

Craig winced as he remembered the sound that came from the car as they slid into the alley. "Oh yeah." He glanced at Tweek's distraught face as it stared at the steering wheel and frowned. As much as the nerd bothered him and he wanted to see him just trip and fall... he did just do him a big favor. 

"Listen if you don't make it weird..." Tweek looked up at him with a curious look, his head tilting and eyes inquisitive as they looked at him. "...I know a guy that could... _probably_... fix your car for nothing."

Tweek smiled, in a small amount of shock and awe at the gesture. "Really?"

"I kinda owe you. So... yeah." Craig nodded. 

"Well... Thanks. I won't make it weird."

Saturday morning at the ripe time of 9:59am, the sun was gently shining through the window of the student room and illuminating everything in the small space. The soft shadows being created over the table and papers left in the room adding to the peaceful aura that became the energy. A minute until their usually meeting was supposed to start and there they were, both on time, one being more surprising than the other. They were both well dressed. Neither had done anything malicious or ill-mannered toward one another. Hadn't even purposefully bumped into one another like they sometimes did. 

Although everything seemed like it should be perfect, it wasn't. 

They still couldn't help but bicker, unable to finding something to agree on.

"If you didn't feel the need to say 'put your seatbelt on' maybe we wouldn't have had them so hot on our tail." Craig said opening the door for himself, but Tweek walking in first to spite him. 

"Well maybe if you care about driving with a seat belt as much as you care about not drinking and driving, that wouldn't be a problem!" Tweek took his seat across from the door. "They're pretty much the same thing. No seat belt is almost as bad as drinking and driving Craig."

Craig then took his seat with a scowl. "Oh please. It is so not."

"Yes it is!"

A sudden intrusion at the door interrupted them, both of them turning towards the dark haired girl standing in the doorway. 

"Oh this isn't my room." Wendy said in her own moment of clarity, then she saw the males who sat in the room. 

Her cheeks flushed as she looked at the harsh blue eyes that were pointing at her, the dark locks peeking out from a the blue chullo making her bite her lip as she gave a wave. Her heart pounding as she spoke. "Hi Craig." Her voice sweet and high to give a body of class and seduction. 

Then her eyes wandered a bit further to the other person in the room and frowned. Her giddy feeling in her stomach completely dissipating and feeling more like a bag of spiders than butterflies. Her voice dropping to something much less amused and instead seeming more brooding than seducing. "Hello Tweek."

Neither boy responded and just gave varying forms of a wave. "Well now that I see that this isn't my room, I'll be going." 

She then left with a gently close of the door, not noticing the fact that the lock and the knob had been broken. After she was completely gone and they had heard her begin to speak with whomever she was tutoring. they gave their own breath of annoyance. 

Both boys saying in unison. " _That bitch_."

They then looked up at each other. Their eyes wide as they looked at each other, both of them seeing the other for the first time. 

Like Craig wasn't just Craig, but he was a person underneath it all that could feel real emotion instead of just being a smoking STD. But also that Tweek was more than just a nerd who only wore sweaters, but he was someone who could feel emotion and wasn't just a walking library. The boy's then smiled, their eyes not parting. They felt something connect like it hadn't before, like they finally saw that there was a real human beyond everything they saw in themselves. 

"Did we just become friends?" Tweek asked with a small amount of radiance. 

Craig then frowned. "And you ruined it."


	7. Fun Facts Ft. Tweek

"Stop trying to distract me, Craig." Tweek said with a stern look towards his newly obedient student. "We have to start actually doing work."

"But there really is a spider on the wall." Craig said dully, his eyes staring beyond Tweek to the wall behind him.

"Come on." Tweek said rolling his eyes and held out his hand, his tone more stern as he squinted. "Give me your tests."

Despite the rising anxiousness Tweek had to finally start getting work done with Craig, he took notice of the slightly defensive stare he got in return. 

He could tell Craig was embarrassed of these presumably bad test scores, and he couldn't blame him. Who would want to be labeled by these stoic letters that held the A shaped keys to your future? Tweek could barely handle a B+, so he could sympathize with the delinquent on having a grade that made them feel stained in a way. Although, the embarrassment Craig held gave Tweek the small hope that he cared about his grades enough to change them. But the embarrassment also gave Tweek the knowledge that he would have to be a bit more gentle when approaching the topic. 

Tweek sighed, taking the breath to try and de-harshen his face. Trying to seem more tender and less judging than Craig must be expecting him to be. "I can only help if I know what's going wrong."

Craig looked at the tutor, taking his time to read him over. 

He seemed to be earnest about helping him despite their previous circumstances. The soft look in Tweek's eyes was something he had never seen from him; they were kind. His eyes understanding the unknown hardships that Craig has gone through. Craig more than appreciating the fact that Tweek's eyes didn't show judgment, nor did they show sympathy. He didn't want to be thought of as a charity case that Tweek was just trying to fix, he wanted to be taken seriously. And by the seems of it, he was going to take him seriously. Tweek, fully showing that he genuinely just wanted to help him. 

"Please." Tweek offered in a small voice.

Craig gave a small frown before he shook his head at himself. "Yeah, yeah. I'm getting them." Small butterflies started to pool in his stomach. The unseen judgment that was bound to come, good or bad, left him tapping his foot and biting his inner cheek. 

He reached for his bag and pulled out his one folder that he put all of his school papers in, shuffling through the random crumples of miscellaneous detention slips and tardy papers before he could pull out the small stack of tests and quizzes. 

He took a brief look at the bad grades then looked back up at the leaning tower of Tweek across from him; his body trying to heighten itself to see the papers that were being pulled out. Seeming eager to get to the nitty gritty terrain that was going to be this learning process. 

He found himself sighing before he quickly tossed the stack across from him, not wanting to lose the motivation to give the papers to Tweek. "Here." 

He quickly shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched Tweek's face stare at the singular letter clearly stamped on all of the papers. The green-blue eyes flickering across the the different subjects without a clear emotion on his face, the lack of expression serving Craig's already tense nerves nothing but more tension. Tweek picked up the history test, it was the most recent grade he's gotten. 

It was a bad grade, a _really_ bad grade. Craig knew that for a fact. It was one of the only few tests he had taken where the score was below 10%. 

"Well..." Tweek said pouting his mouth out to the side as he flipped to the back side of Craig's history test. His eyes scanning over the answers that made it clear that Craig might not even know that Roosevelt was, in fact, a president. Slightly smiling at the true/false question that was answered with a T that looked like an F or a F that looked like a T. The diversion working in gaining him some of the few points he got on this exam. 

"We have our work cut out for us-GAH! SPIDER!"

"Told you."

And that was the week in which Craig learned some things about his tutor. 

The first being: Tweek was more than just happy to help Craig, he was down right excited.

For some strange reason Tweek had a bone or gland in his body that made him happy when he helped someone with their problems (mostly homework related ones). The thought of being able to help someone releasing endorphins from this mysterious gland in Tweek that made him eager to help Craig.

"Uh Tweek." Craig said after a minute of staring at the same math problem, finally letting his ego fall and math weakness succumb to its needs. 

Tweek's head popped up from his own homework to look at Craig with an ecstatic smile, his lip being held down with gleaming teeth. His eyes looking up enthusiastically towards the other male, waiting for the question he was assuming to be asked. "Yes?"

Craig gave him a once over before sighing. "I need help."

"Good." Tweek said with a smile as he sat up from his seat. "I can help!"

Craig raised an eyebrow at the response. "That's a good thing?"

The second fact being learned just as quickly as the first fact: Tweek had very little sense of personal space.

Often times during studying, Craig would get stuck on something and Tweek would pull his chair over to his. Then he would stick his face right where Craig's was just to see things how he was seeing them, a somewhat stupid concept in theory, but quite useful in practice. He would be able to pin point the problem Craig was having, because he was seeing things from his view, and then explain what was going wrong.

"Uh... What are you doing?" Craig said, looking at Tweek out of the corner of his eye. 

Tweek's face pressed cheek to cheek with Craig's. One of the tutor's hands balanced itself on the table and one laid itself on Craig's opposite shoulder. Tweek, not seeing anything out of the ordinary, frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Y-Y-You're-" Craig looked at the blonde sprouts of hair curling between Tweek and his cheeks, the small lock of gold tickling his cheek. "You're so..."

Tweek turned his face towards Craig's slightly, his browns drawn upwards in concern and confusion. "I'm so... _what?_ "

"Nothing." Craig pulled his face away slightly and tucked the piece of hair that was touching his face behind Tweek's ear. He then put his head back to where it was. Giving up on pointing out something that wasn't being noticed by his clueless tutor. "It's nothing." 

Craig then cleared his throat and looked at the math problem again. Tapping his pencil against the foreign question to gain Tweek's attention back to the equation. "How do you find rational zeros?"

"Oh!" 

Tweek then perked up and smiled as he explained the problem. Going all the way to write out all possible rational zeros that could occur with 60. Explaining at each step of the problem what was happening and why it was happening. Tweek sparing no time to make sure Craig was understanding it every step of the way. Writing out each of the possibilities for Craig and seeing if all 12 multiples, negative and positive, fit into the equation where x was.

His third fact not being as distinctive as the rest, but still making him laugh all the same was: Tweek thought out loud for the most part. 

He had witnessed it before, Tweek mumbling to himself about something and then continuing on with his task regularly. It would usually happen if he was really engrossed with what he was doing, but he hadn't seen it like he had seen it during their one on one sessions. 

Craig was reading some text for history about how radio affected the campaign for Roosevelt, or something of that effect, when he heard a small mumbling. He looked up and saw Tweek drawing out a graph, he had a glazed look over his eyes. He was drawing out two lines for the x and y axis, his head kept tilting to keep his eyes on the straight line he was supposed to be drawing. His lips barely moving as spoke. 

_"If I were to go by tens then I wouldn't be able to properly show the increments... but any lower and I can't fit anything."_

All of the words being said completely unbeknownst to the blonde and almost haphazardly, making Craig wonder if he would say anything on his mind no matter what it was.

"Hey Tweek." 

Tweek, still in a trance of sorts, moved his head to look up at Craig before his eyes looked up at him. The pupils moving reluctantly from the page he was on to reach the male in front of him. "Hm?"

"What's your number? Just in case I need to ask you something when I get home." Craig said, his own bet being made with himself in his head as he watched Tweek, trying to predict what the blonde was going to do. 

Tweek reached into his bag and started to type his password, mumbling under his breath. " _2\. 8. 3. 3. 2. 7._ "

Craig laughed as Tweek finished unlocking his phone, the unexpected sound of fun having caught Tweek off guard and knocking him out of his daze. "Wha-What? Why are you laughing?"

He imagined Tweek working a government job in which he would have to keep designated secrets from certain people, but while he's working someone would come up to him and hear him muttering on about these trade secrets that were supposed to have remained a secret. The whole situation starting a small world war just because Tweek had a small mumbling problem. 

Or even better the thought of Tweek being held captive by other countries for information and Tweek tells them he would never tell them the secrets, but in the end he ends up mumbling the intelligence that was supposed to have remained a secret. 

Small mini fun fact he learned: Tweek is left-handed. 

It was the next day when Craig learned his fourth fact, one he pretty much already knew, but didn't know the extent of: Tweek was organized to a T. 

Having everything marked with different colored stickers, each of his subject's binder separated in different colors and even having specific pen colors used for certain aspects of his notes. Such as a new word and its definition being written in purple and not understood concepts being written in blue. 

"Craig~" Tweek said with a sing song tone, his head popping into the student rooms at a time much later than usual. 

Craig turned around in his chair, leaning his arm over the top of the plastic back to stare at Tweek. In a sarcastic tone he singsonged back. "Tweek. Your late~"

"I'll act like you aren't being an ass." Tweek mumbled to himself as he came into the room with his whole body. Walking to the circle table to dump out a bag full of school supplies he said with a smile. "I got you some presents."

Craig picked up a binder and looked it over with a raised eyebrow. " _Goody._ "

Tweek flicked at Craig's head then crossed his arms. "Once again, I'll act like you aren't being an ass." He then grabbed Craig's bag from the floor and put it on the table. "I noticed that you've been having a hard time keeping your homework and notes together." Tweek opened the backpack to the wasteland of old papers and expired detention slips. A single folder holding all of the mysterious sheets of papers, with a broken back and ripped sleeves. "And I don't blame you."

Craig picked up a blue pencil case that had small yellow accents on it, then looked at Tweek. "So..."

"I got these to help you organize." Tweek started pulling out all of the junk hoarding itself inside of Craig's bag.

It was when the two had finally cleaned out Craig's bag and sorted out all of the different miscellaneous papers inside of it that Craig had learned the fifth Tweek fact: His tutor had a yearn for decorating and crafting. 

"Alright, personally I put social studies as blue." Tweek laughed slightly as he slipped another unsharpened pencil into the delinquent's pencil case. "But I understand you putting it as red since you think your teacher is the devil."

Craig smirked slightly. "If you ever had him you would understand."

"Maybe, but I think if he hates you, it's on _you_." Tweek said tossing the pencil case into the open backpack. "But you're right. I have Mr. Newman and he's the biggest pushover _ever_." Tweek picked up one of the binders laying on the table and held it up. "Also, do you agree with math being purple?"

"Sure?" Craig said with a glance towards the purple binder. Finally just shrugging as he thought about the debate that Tweek must have gotten into with someone on the different colors of binders and folders. "I'm not big on politics."

"Pft." Tweek elbowed the taller male for his sarcasm, Craig taking the small jab with nothing more than a small rub of the arm. Tweek then scanned the plain binder with curious eyes. "So are you gonna put anything on these?"

"What do you mean?" Craig asked, quirking his brow.

Tweek gave Craig the purple binder and pulled out his own. 

The front sleeves being decorated with cursive letters that spelled out the subjects name and the words either having a theme of an island coast or a museum. Tweek put the binders out on the table proudly. A smile coming to his face at the slightly impressed expression Craig wore. 

"This one with the island is for my biology class. It's actually supposed to represent the Galapagos Islands." Tweek then looked up at Craig with an expecting smile. "So what do you think you're going to do?"

Craig shrugged and sat down in his seat to start on some much needed answering of questions for his English class. "I'll just keep mine plain."

"What?" Tweek said, watching Craig starting to work on his homework with a frown. He then sat in his chair next to Craig's with a small whine. "But _Craig_... It would be so much fun! You'd get to decorate and put whatever you want on there!" Tweek leaned towards Craig to try and further persuade him. "You could even use glitter pens if you wanted~"

Craig glanced at the boy next to him and rolled his eyes at the obvious wish he wasn't overtly saying. "Tweek... Do _you_ want to decorate my binders?"

" _Me?_ " Tweek said, pointing to himself for confirmation. A smile-one of those increasingly familiar smiles that Tweek would bite on to hide from being too apparent-currently spreading over his face. "I mean... only if you _want_ me too."

Craig then turned directly to Tweek and said to him without a single thought or care given. "Tweek, I _want_ you to decorate my binders." Leaning his head forward slightly as he said the word 'want', only to give the extra emphasis he currently lacked. 

Tweek smiled delightedly. Letting out a small squeal as he grabbed onto Craig's shoulders to pull him in for, what the taller male would guess was, an excited hug. "Ah! Thank you Craig!" 

Tweek then pulled his chair back to his side of the table with an excited smile. "They are going to be amazing! Promise!"

His last fact for the week that he had also seen and assumed, but never really made the connection to was: Tweek bounced off the walls in the mornings like a god damn bouncy ball. 

Before school the next day Craig was on his way to one of his classes when Tweek ran into him, _quite literally_. The blonde seemed to be in a fit of speed and stress which made their alteration quick and to the point. Tweek pulling out five different decorative sheets of paper for the front of his binders before speeding off saying something about morning meetings and seeing him after school. 

Craig shook his head at the humming bird of a person as Tweek zoomed off, but glanced down at the sheets in his hand and smiled. The classes had some part of them represented, but much more toned down than Tweek's. Except for one that went hard. One that immediately became his favorite. 

It had fire encircling the borders of the page, fake burn marks edged themselves on the corners of the paper. The word spelled out 'history' in all uppercase, the 'y' curling up and under the rest of the letters with a pointy and evil looking tail. 

With the new addition to his red history binder, Craig felt more than excited to go to his class.


	8. Fun Facts Ft. Craig

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLS READ THIS IF YOURE CONFUSED!
> 
> okay so I really didn't like the ending of the chapter after I went over it a couple times. I realized it didn't fit with the pacing or the characterization that I'm trying to go for between Tweek and Craig. So I changed it to something a little less dramatic and something more throwaway. 
> 
> sry for any confusion. 
> 
> '3'

Along with Craig learning some few things about his tutor during the week, Tweek also learned some things about his delinquent student.

His first fact learned throughout the week was: When Craig didn't want to ask for help, he would bite his pencil.

At first glance Tweek just assumed that he was just deep in thought gnawing on the pencil to help his thought process along, but Tweek quickly learned that it was Craig's way of keeping himself from asking Tweek a question. Like he was quite literally trying to hold himself back from asking by shoving the pencil in between his teeth. It would usually happen if the male thought he had asked too many questions to be regular or if he was feeling particularly 'sensitive' about a subject.

Tweek was doing flashcards with himself, trying to memorize the different cell functions and their different stages, when he heard a strange sound. A mix between when someone tries to break a stick in half-but the stick isn't quite bark covered to break so it bends instead-and when someone eats a mildly damp cracker.

He moved the flashcard that were in front of his face to the side, raising his hand holding the cards to up to stare towards the obscure noise.

It was Craig staring, quite angrily, at his homework. His pencil was caught in the side of his mouth, his molars terrorizing the slightly varnished yellow wood. His lips sealing the small piece of wood into the corner of his mouth to keep it put. His nose twitching every so often, in what Tweek guessed was either, annoyance or anger towards the offending math problem.

"Uh... Craig?"

The male looked up, the pencil dropping from his mouth and going slack in his hand, the yellow stick having brown divots and indents that showed the real wood underneath. The teeth markings going up all the way to the eraser that had already been sparse from reoccurring homework mishaps. "Huh?"

Tweek giggled and gave him a quick look up and down. "Do you need help?"

"Oh." Craig looked down at his paper then up again, his face slightly embarrassed as he nodded. "Kinda."

The next fact made Tweek laugh to himself whenever he thought about it: Craig had a very bland palate.

He had seen Craig eat his lunch and it would always be something rather basic like a peanut butter sandwich or popcorn that seemingly had no salt or butter. Overall the food he brought in sometimes looking like it had been pulled directly from an old black and white colored sitcom.

"Aww all the dip is gone." Tweek said with a frown, using his pita chip to scrape up the last bits of the spicy hummus from the bottom of the container. He then ate his last seasoned chip with a displeasured face, his chewing looking more like sulking.

Craig looked up at the blonde putting away his snack and raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to eat those?"

"These?" Tweek asked holding up the plastic bag holding a stray few pita chips.

Craig nodded.

"No, I don't like eating things after all the dip or sauce is gone." Tweek said putting the lid back on his small container that used to hold his homemade hummus, the dip having more cayenne pepper than necessary.

"Why?" Craig asked still looking at the baked chips sitting on the table.

Tweek shrugged. "I don't know." He giggled to himself before saying. "I guess you could call me a saucy guy."

Craig looked up at Tweek's overly amused face and frowned; his eyes drooping to show their own unamused reaction to the joke. "I will never call you that." He then looked back down at the chips in front of Tweek, looking over the never before tried food, before motioning his head towards them. "If you're not eating them can I?"

"Sure."

Tweek then tossed the bag Craig's way without another thought about the semi-bland chips. Or not until moments later when the tutor heard small moans that once again had him looking Craig's way.

Craig's face crunched up in pleasure as he slowly chewed the chips in hand, his brows drawn over his closed eyes. The seriousness of the eating occurring in front of Tweek making it hard for him not to laugh at the scene. He barely covered his mouth in time to stifle a laugh at the male chewing the sacred chips.

"Oh my god." Craig groaned after swallowing his first pita. "What is on these?"

Tweek tried his best to contain the smile hiding behind his fingers before answering, taking the moment to clear his throat. His hand only moving from the front of his mouth to supply with a small, verging on laughing, voice. "Salt."

" _God_." Craig took another one into his mouth. "It's amazing."

That broke it for Tweek. The tutor letting loose all of the giggles he had for a man who found salt to be the seasoning of gods. The Craig Tucker of South Park, who smokes and gets into fights during his free time, ate a pita chip then proclaimed it to be amazing because it was lightly dusted with the most basic 'seasoning' (if you could even call it that) ever. Tweek's head tilting back at the absurdity of the situation and the absurdity of Craig.

"What?" Craig then held up one of the chips as defense to Tweek's laughing, his face still amazed by the chip that was literally just an over-baked version of bread. "They're good!"

Tweek's final fact learned about his student was: Craig didn't seem to have a whole lot of control with the girls that spoke to him. 

Despite the productive work week the tutor and the delinquent had, there was an intense increase of the girls that usually clouded around Craig. They crept around the halls waiting for a chance to talk to the tall teen, some even going as far to wait for him until after the sessions to see him. They all had an allotted amount of 'Craig Time' per week that Tweek had, _so sadly_ , been taking from them. 

Tweek checked the clock on the wall, Craig was about to be ten minutes late. Tweek swore he saw the outline of Craig's puff ball through the doors opaque window. The small, ominous, gateway of glass, always let mysterious shadowy figures shine in as a foreshadowing to who the guest could be. But this time, the glass has failed the tutor, making him believe that there was a Craig when there wasn't one. 

He swung his foot impatiently as he watched the thin red line of the clock race around, his mouth pouting out to the side. Hoping any moment that Craig would come in and say 'Ready to work!'. Tweek glared as the line seemed to slow, his gaze somehow pressuring the clock too much and causing it to slow. He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him or he had suddenly developed super powers when he was sleeping. 

After a moment more of waiting, Tweek clicked his tongue followed by an exasperated breath. He stood from his chair like lighting had struck him. He has been scorned by Craig's tardiness and it wasn't going to be left unspoken. Tweek didn't like wasted time, he preferred his time to be filled with fun activities, a good teaching experience, or a solid six hours of sleep. 

He swung the door open, ready to hunt down and berate the loose scheduled teen, but he didn't have to search long or hard for Craig. The teen was leaning-looking a little more pressed-against the wall. He was surrounded by a small gaggle of girls that were all trying talk to the male. All of them voicing their different concerns about his new lack of time that was supposed to be spent wooing them. 

Tweek rolled his eyes and stepped forward towards the group. "Alright guys. Time for Craig to study." 

The girls turned toward the other boy with various faces of displeasure while Craig gave a semi-relieved look towards the tutor. They quickly gave him a look over, their eyes taking in every aspect of the blonde with sharp gazes and arched brows. After their scanning towards Tweek was finished they turned back with a quick whip of hair and a chorus of scoffs. 

Despite the mean looks and obvious dismissal, Tweek wasn't one to give up. 

He once again walked towards the group, doing his best to reach out for Craig, the clustered boy seeming just as eager to have Tweek pull him out as Tweek was to pull him out. "As I said guys. Time for him to go." 

Just as Craig's hand was about to intertwine with Tweek's, a sharp jab of an elbow went into Tweek's middle, causing him to stumble back from the group. The hit forcing a cough to wheeze out of the blonde's abused left lung. The girl who had afflicted him stared at him with a mean glare and a curled lip. A strange disgust aimed at the tutor as she said. "No one asked for you here."

Tweek looked at her for a moment in astonishment before he put his hands up in defeat. " _Fine._ "

He turned back into the room. Searching through the school's shelves of random things they thought the students would need during a tutoring session. Tweek perking up at the sight of a can of aerosol that apparently smelled like the breeze that passed through an open window. He then took the can with him as he walked back to the group. 

Tweek then started spraying the can around the posse, making sure to spread it high into the air so it would effectively coat the hoard of people. Swinging his arm back and forth as though he were parading around a flag, the veil of lysol falling over the group with the elegance of glitter. Tweek did admit that the scent did remind him of when he would sit in front of an open window and the wind would blow in. 

The girls and Craig began to cough. Tweek frowned slightly at the scene, a fake sympathy playing on his face. "Oh I'm sorry. I thought it was perfume!"

With the final note of calling Tweek any mean name they could think of that didn't cross the line of being too far and also noting his GAP jeans from the girls section, the Craig groupies were gone. 

Craig came up to Tweek, still coughing out the chemical spray in his lungs. "I don't know if I should say 'thank you' or 'fuck you'."

"More like I should say 'fuck you'." Tweek said looking up at the other male with a pointed look, he then let out an annoyed huff. "What was that? You didn't even help me out!" He then grabbed onto the sleeve of Craig's hoodie, pulling him into the student room. "So if anything, you deserved that." 

Craig just rolled his eyes and continued to try and clear his lungs of the foreign vapor in them. Tweek put the disinfectant spray back on the shelf. Shaking his head as he thought about the events that had just occurred, none of it making any sense to him. 

"I just don't understand those girls." He then walked to his seat, gripping the back of his chair with tight hands. "You're uncouth, you smoke, you get into fights for no reason and-" Tweek looked towards Craig. "And you're just..." He was trying to get the remnants of the lysol from his body, his eyes were red and teary from wheezing. His hoodie, despite being better than the usually donned leather jacket, still had some peculiar marks on it that made Tweek frown. His only redeeming feature in this moment being the only redeeming feature that Tweek usually found. The little yellow puff ball on the top of his head. "...Ugh!"

Craig gave a final hack then looked at Tweek with a disingenuous smile. "I love you too, Babe."

Tweek rolled his eyes. "All I'm saying is this is preposterous! I shouldn't have to quite literally hose people down just to be able to get you to learn."

"Well what can I say?" Craig said with a pleased grin. "The-"

"I swear to god, if you say 'the ladies love me'." Tweek said pointedly. He then sat in his seat with his fingers drumming against the top of the table. "Can't you just tell them _'shoo'_?"

Craig laughed. "As if it's that simple. The only time they laid off is when they thought I was dating Tracey." 

"Well can't you just _say_ you're dating someone?" Tweek said, stopping the rumbling of his fingers to let them just lay gently against the table top. "Just make up a fake girl."

Craig's eyes lingered over the dainty fingers that rested on top of the table. Thinking of way to try and fix this problem for Tweek so he would hopefully hear less bitching from him. His eyes honing in on the deep nail beds. The long nails and their neatly clipped tops made them look so pristine, like they were made to model rings and fingerless gloves. The white crescents on top of the nail giving the long fingers an even more feminine look than they already had. 

"They would need proof." He then leaned forward across the table, picking Tweek's hand up with his own. His thumb grazing over the knuckles in a way that made both boys feel uncomfortable in their skin. 

Tweek was fighting the urge to pull back his hand, but knew Craig wouldn't do this for no reason. "What are you doing?"

"Your hand looks enough like a girls." 

Annie Nelson woke up on this sunny Saturday morning with a happy feeling in her stomach. She sat up in her bed and stretched, a few air bubbles in her back popping as she twisted. She reset herself to look forward again and looked around her room with the same lighthearted air in her. She was ready to have a good day 

She got up from her bed to brush her frazzled morning hair. While leaving her warm bed, she peeked down at her nightstand where her phone was. She had a notification telling her that Craig Tucker had posted something onto his snapchat story. A giddy feeling building in her stomach as she thought about what it could be. A picture of him that showed off his handsome face or a mirror shot that dared to feature his muscular body or maybe the best of both worlds that might have him swimming that would leave the body exposed and the face tanned. She giggled to herself, the possibilities all sounding good to start her morning. 

She clicked on it.

It was a picture of Craig. He was smiling at the camera with one of those smiles that were made to melt the coldest of hearts. Any girl who hadn't been enamored with him before definitely would have been after seeing it. His hat was slightly askew leaving more of his hair than usual out for her to look at. The dark black locks making her swoon, wishing she could just reach out through the screen and touch the side swept pieces. Her eyes then fell to his hand. 

She frowned. 

It was interlocked with another, a much smaller and feminine hand that had a small heart emoji next to it. The pale skin contrasting greatly to his, the hand didn't have a flaw or speckle in sight. It was one of the most painful things she had ever seen. A perfect hand that was attached to yet another perfect hand. The worst part of the picture was the caption that read in red shiny letters 'Mine'. 

He was taken. 

Annie's morning was officially ruined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLS READ THIS IF YOURE CONFUSED!
> 
> okay so I really didn't like the ending of the chapter after I went over it a couple times. I realized it didn't fit with the pacing or the characterization that I'm trying to go for between Tweek and Craig. So I changed it to something a little less dramatic and something more throwaway. 
> 
> sry for any confusion. 
> 
> '3'


	9. It's A Process

"Shit." Craig stared at his math test he had gotten back with dread. 

He stared in disbelief at the sheet in his hand. It was impossible for the grade to be this low even though he had studied so hard.

He had spent the whole week prior studying like his life depended on it with Tweek, the boy giving him practice sheet after practice sheet to try and better 'build his math stamina'. They had gone over everything from the current unit, making sure Craig had fulling understood what was occurring in this section. Even during the test, he felt confident during it. Like he was staying on track with his time like Tweek had told him, but he was wrong. Tweek spending extra hours after school with him, just to make sure he finished all his homework and be prepared for his tests, turned out to be a wasted effort.

His mom was going to be pissed. She's having him spend all these hours at school getting tutored, but he still is getting shit grades on his tests. He could see it now, her getting over worked up and threatening yet another extreme in anger. Something completely out of bounds this time, something like the army.

Even worse was probably going to be Tweek.

He had spent hours preparing things for Craig so he could succeed, but this test reflected none of that. The small boy was probably going to shame him for the whole session today, call him names he surely has heard before, but would hurt more because he actually tried. He would probably drop Craig as a student because he was wasting his time trying to help someone who couldn't be helped. Of course this would happen now. Just when he started to not mind the slightly neurotic blonde. Their sessions having begun to be more fun that just work. Jokes being shared along with the occasional snacks.

He couldn't show this to Tweek, but also he couldn't hide it. 

He let out a groan as he stared at the student room's door. He would just have to treat it like a band-aid and rip it off. Shove the dumb test right at Tweek and hope it doesn't hurt too bad.

He opened the door to Tweek on his phone, the small sound of the door opening with broken lock letting the tutor perk up from his seat with a smile. His eyes not seeming as upset as they usually are about his tardiness. "Fashionably late as always."

"I wouldn't call it a fashion statement." Craig then walked forward to pull out his chair, grimacing as he thought about his test. Sitting down with a weight around him. "I got my math test back today."

Tweek's eyes lit up, his usual smile spreading. "Well let's see."

Craig looked at him as he wiggled in his seat, his hips unable to keep still and making Tweek look like an antsy child. He was happy to see how Craig did, the excitement making Craig feel worse about the grade. There was nothing to be excited about, quite the opposite actually. 

He pulled his bag to the table with a sigh. 

No reason delaying it. 

He pulled out the test and threw it above Tweek. Letting the paper drift into Tweek's atmosphere for him to catch. The sharp sound of small hands clasping crisp paper making him look at the tutor that was slightly glaring at him. 

"You could have just handed it to me." Tweek said in an almost offended tone before he whipped the graded sheet straight, mimicking an old man straightening his newspaper.

Craig watched as Tweek's eyes widened. Unsure what emotion fueled the dilation, Craig locked his jaw, his teeth clenching together tightly. Tweek's eyes scanning the test like a newfound scripture that Jesus had left behind for his people. Tweek wet his lips then softly said, barely above a whisper.

"You got a D."

Craig bit his cheek, hearing it aloud was much worse than just seeing the grade looking back at him. He let the quiet words sink in before he said with low energy. "Yep."

"You got a D." Tweek said a bit louder, his lips slightly twitching up.

He then laughed slightly, a whole smile coming to his lips. "You got a D!" Tweek then jumped up from his seat to bounce around the room. His hands flying into the air and the test fluttering down to the table perfectly. Tweek then grabbed onto Craig's shoulder for one of those fleeting hugs that had become oddly familiar. "Craig! A D!"

Craig furrowed his brows, the rubbing in of the grade feeling like salt in the wound. "I get you don't like me, but don't be a dick."

"What?" Tweek then looked at him incredulously, taking a step away from the male. "Craig I'm not being a dick. You did good!"

Craig rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I believe that."

"I'm being serious." Tweek then grabbed Craig's shoulder to pull him to the table to look at his test that sat face up towards the teens. He picked up the test and held up the percentage that was on the front up as his evidence. "Look at that! You got a 67%. That's almost a C!" Tweek beamed as he turned towards Craig, trying to fully show the extent of the grade to the sulking teen.

"So?"

Tweek sat Craig down with his test, moving off to grab his bag and chair and pull them next to Craig's seat. Scooting their chairs as close together as they could get. Tweek then pulled out a blue pen, he started to circle where Craig went wrong on his problems. The problems started early on, but the work Craig did after the wrong calculations showed that he understood the concepts.

After he was done circling the main problems Tweek then elbowed Craig to pay attention. "Look. This is where you went wrong. It's not that you didn't know how to do the problems." Tweek then tapped the wrongly found numbers with his pen. Looking at Craig's face with a smile and another nudge to the taller male's side. "It's just that your basics are a little off."

"Plus look at this." Tweek then pulled out one of the many folders he had compressed into his bag and pulled out one of Craig's older math tests. The grade being much lower and much worse. A drastic difference between how many red marks there were on the old test versus the new test. "You've improved a lot. I mean look at the percentages." Tweek circled the 40% at the top of the old test with a smile towards Craig. "Before you weren't passing and now you are! You've improved a lot Craig!"

"I guess." Craig stared at the comparison, he was seeing what Tweek was getting at, but he still felt bothered by the grade. "I just thought it would be different because..." He sighed, letting his sentence trail off.

Tweek saw the male's sullen face, he wasn't sure of the thoughts that were spiraling around Craig's head, but he could guess. He could guess that Craig was expecting this to be his red pill or blue pill moment where things turn around in the blink of an eye, but of course it wasn't. That's not how this works, that not how much of anything works. It seemed to be Craig's first taste of reality. 

Tweek leaned into him, looking at the frowning boys face with an amused smile. "Craig, it's not a movie you know?"

Craig turned to look at Tweek with furrowed brows. "What does that mean?"

Tweek laughed slightly. "A week montage isn't going to fix a years worth of neglect to your grades."

Craig felt embarrassment spread across his face in the form of heat. As much as he didn't think it worked that way, he supposes his subconscious did. The work seemed to match up in his mind, but he supposes he was wrong. "It feels like it should."

"Well." Tweek then looked at the tests in front of them. "To make this something you can convert in your head is, I did 50 crunches everyday for one week and expected abs."

Craig let a small laugh stumble out of his mouth. "And let me guess what you're going to say."

Tweek looked up expectingly, a smug little look on his face.

"It's a process?"

Tweek giggled and nodded. "It's a process."

"Well that sucks."

"Did you hear that Craig got a girlfriend?" Token asked as he looked at yet another black screen on a girls snapchat stating 'Don't talk to me. Only the real ones know what's wrong'.

Tweek laughed as he pulled out his lunch from his locker. "Yeah." It was one of those special days when Token had lunch off from his ukulele club to eat lunch with Tweek so he wouldn't have to spend the time alone. "I think I was one of the first people to know."

"Really?" Token looked at Tweek with wide eyes. "Did he talk about it?" 

Tweek then held his hand up as they walked to the lunchroom. "Does this look familiar?"

"Uh." Token looked between the hand and Tweek's face then gave up, shrugging. "No?" 

"I'm Craig's new girlfriend." Tweek said with a final wave of his hand. 

Token felt himself choke on the air, the news coming into his airways and shoving themselves down his throat. Trying to keep him from speaking or halting the occurrence of this unholy relationship. The idea of either of the males in the same room was still a foreign concept. A concept that ended in a lion eating another lion, but to hear that they had suddenly turned into something more than opponents was beyond Token's reasoning. 

Tweek watched him convulse from the news in concern, but knew that there wasn't much he could do expect wait for him to stop. 

"You're dating?!" Token finally choked out. 

Tweek rolled his eyes. "Obviously we're not actually dating, Token." He then looked out around the lunchroom for an empty table that wouldn't be too big or have other people at it. "I still think he's the worst." 

Token gave a sigh of relief, but still questioned further. "Why are you playing as his hand model then?"

"It's just to get girls to lay off a bit so he can get some real tutoring done." Tweek then spotted a small table near the line for food, grabbing onto Token's sleeve and pulling him towards the seats.

"Well it worked." Token held his phone up for Tweek to see, showing yet another upset and grieving teen girl's story. "It's like One-Direction split up all over again."

Tweek saw the girl crying and laughed slightly, who knew a single picture with an unnamed hand could cause so much chaos. "Ah yes. The fruits of my labors." 

Token shook his head. "I still think that you should just excuse yourself from tutoring him." 

"Oh please. He's not that bad that I need to call a yellow card." Tweek said with a scoff. 

Token's eyes bulged slightly at the words. " _Excuse me_. You guys led a high speed police chase." 

"I was only going 40." Tweek said nonchalantly. 

"In a 20!" Token said raising his voice. 

Tweek budged slightly. "Okay so he's not the best tool in the shed, but he's at least getting better to be around."

The pair sat at the table next to one another. Tweek, as he usually does, taking no mind to the amount of personal space he left between him and his friend. Leaving Token to feel like he was burning up. The proximity making Tweek seem like the sun and his closeness just being a solar flare towards planet Token. One that left the temperature levels on his currently dying planet dangerously high. 

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Tweek started to pat on Token's arm excitedly. "I saw that my prom idea got approved!"

Token then smiled through his heat. "Really? That's great Tweek!"

"I know! Really showed that bitch." Tweek said with an evil glare towards his noodles, stabbing at the buttered angel hair. 

Token raised an eyebrow at the boy and his aggressive reaction towards his student council rival. "Did you just call Wendy a bitch?"

Tweek's face then fell in realization at his words. "Sorry. I've been hang out with Craig too much. He swears a bunch." He then let out a small laugh. "Just yesterday he started cussing at his math sheet because there were too many letters and not enough numbers on it."

"Wow he sounds like quite the guy." Token gave his mind, that was telling him to be on the lookout for Craig trying to swoop up Tweek, a chance to calm down. No way Tweek would fall for someone like him. He wanted someone dignified and polite. Someone who cared about their social status and their future. Token smiled to himself as he thought about this person Tweek would like. 

"Sounds like me."

"Huh?" Tweek said with a mouthful of noodles.

Token then smiled. "Uh nothing. Just thinking to myself is all."

After school Token usually is a library aid, acting as one of the people that help the librarians clean up and re-shelf books. It was nice because the whole thing was usually student run because the librarians were beyond lazy and knew that the students wouldn't say anything about the free community credits they were getting. 

"I wish they wrote the whole Twilight series from the perspective of Edward." Tweek said from the top of the counter with his copy of 'Midnight Sun', leaning the book on his crossed legs. "He just comes off better." 

Token shook his head at him, pulling out the new arrival books that had just been shipped to the school. "Don't you have a guy to be tutoring?"

"You don't like my company?" Tweek said with a fake frown. 

"I always like your company." Token said genuinely. 

Tweek smiled and maintained the eye contact for a moment, indulging in what his friend said before looking away. "You're right though. I should probably get going now." He spotted the clock on the wall and hopped off the counter, throwing the book back into the pile of new books. "He's probably already there." 

Token watched Tweek start to grab his things, his back turned to Token as he slung the thick strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder. With no more than a moment of thought Token blurted out. "You wanna go out this Saturday?" 

Tweek turned around slightly stunned with the sudden plan making, but recovered with a smile. "Oh. Sure."

"Really?" Token asked slightly amazed at the win. 

Tweek giggled and walked over to his friend. "Why wouldn't I? You're my bestie." And that's when Token's win became a loss. Tweek then gave a quick kiss to Token's cheek before dashing out the room. "Text you about it later!"

Token hated and loved those little cheek kisses he got. 

They were like getting the sweater you wanted for Christmas, but it's in the wrong size. It was so close to perfect and you really did want it, but it wasn't how you wanted it, it wasn't the same as getting that good perfectly sized medium. Tweek's kisses were a puny size small. So much less than Token wanted, but so close to being perfect. Token thought that if Tweek meant them how kisses were supposed to be meant, he would appreciate them more and they might fit. 

"You're late." 

Tweek stuck his tongue out at the boy sitting across from him. "And you're straight." Tweek then sat down in his seat. "Wanna point out more obvious things?"

"I'm not straight." 

Tweek tilted his head, his eyes squinting slightly. "Are you saying that just to be difficult?"

"I'm seriously not straight." Craig said with a nod. 

Tweek pouted. "But... what about all the girls?"

"Girls are just easier." Craig smirked and leaned back in his chair. "And sometimes you just want your whistle wetted." 

"God, just when I thought you were getting tolerable." Tweek gagged. The idea of any whistles related to Craig being 'wetted' grossing him out in too many ways to count. "You're disgusting."

"Nothing I haven't heard, Babe." Craig said as he pulled out his binders and pencil case that had somehow already managed to get stained by mysterious substances. 

Tweek groaned and threw a crumpled piece of paper at Craig's head. "What have I said about you calling me that?" 

Craig looked down at his assignment he had received from his teachers that day and said. "That you love it and you wish I would do it more." He then looked up with a sly smile. 

"I should have never agreed to be your hand girlfriend." Tweek said more to himself than Craig. Thinking about how he was forced to take the 'couple' picture over and over again until it was perfect for his highness. 

Craig laughed before pointing at Tweek with his pencil. "Hey, that's a real privilege. Girls would _kill_ for that fake girlfriend spot." He then titled his chin up with another smirk. "You should feel honored."

"And you should feel honored I'm still your tutor at this point." Tweek then opened his planner and saw tomorrow's date marked off. "Speaking of which, how do you feel about your history quiz for tomorrow?"

"Eh... I still don't understand what Hoover did that was so bad?" 

Tweek rolled his eyes. "Get your book out. I'll highlight the text." He stood up and moved his chair next to Craig's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Hoover did plenty wrong


	10. Hey, That's Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't pay attention to the phony author names I put in this chapter nor the fake book names.

It was just another day for the tutor and the delinquent. It had gone without any major hitches, the only debates being over a probability question that Craig had for homework. 

He was trying to argue that he didn't have to do the math for the question because he knew for a 'fact' that getting struck by lightning is more likely to happen to someone than getting attacked by a shark. Tweek, although he agreed it was more likely, said that the teacher didn't care about what he knew. She only wanted to see if Craig knew how to do the question. 

When Craig had finally finished his math homework for the day, Tweek was more than relieved. 

After thirty minutes of peaceful working, there came a wave of something. It would happen sometimes or sometimes not. It was like a midday lull that only happened during these studying hours. It would creep into the room like an unsuspecting villain of productivity. Something or one that was trying its hardest to knock Tweek and Craig out. Like a scentless gas in the air that was meant to put the two teens to sleep. 

"Ugh!" Craig emitted before letting his face flop down on the pages of his history text book. "I can barely concentrate."

Tweek kept on reading his book, sadly the same line he had been reading for the past ten minutes. He was desperately trying to see and retain what it was saying, but failing. "That sounds regular for you."

"No." Craig said, his talking muffled from his face that was still planted into his book. "I really can't concentrate."

Tweek gave up on the sentence for the time being and closed his book. Letting himself stretch back in his chair with a small grunt. "We can take a break for a bit." His back popped as he leaned further back, the small cracks and kinks coming out making him sigh in the subtle relief.

"It's this room." Craig said barely lifting his face from the book, one of the page's sticking to his face as he came up. "I hate it. It makes me feel like I can't do anything."

Tweek looked at the boy and smiled slightly, the page stuck to his face making him look like a washed up drunk in a bar. He did agree with him though; this room was the worst and he dreaded coming to it just because of how daunting the atmosphere was inside of it. It was harming his working ability, so he could guess that Craig was being just as affected by it.

"I guess we could study in the library." Tweek supplied after a moment of thought.

Craig removed the page from his face with a bat of the hand, sitting up straight to look at Tweek with a new life pumped into him. "I'm good with that."

Tweek looked at Craig. It was probably a bad idea, there was too much going on and Craig would no doubt start some kind of havoc or someone would try to start havoc with him just because it's him. 

Then they would get kicked out or banned.

If that happened Tweek wouldn't be able to enjoy his lunch in that safe little nook in the corner of the library where he usually ate. It was a beautiful little space that was closed in on all four sides with books, the only exit and entrance being a small space to let yourself into the four walled book heaven. It was his garden of eden far away from the rest of civilization that usually populated the library, and since it was so closed off he could eat in there. His own little sin being that people couldn't eat in the library, yet he hid off to some unknown location everyday and ate.

He couldn't lose that special place just because the same guy who thought FDR was the same as JFK wanted some extra space to think.

"No, it's better we stay in here." Tweek said finally.

He saw Craig frown at the response and plant his face back down into his book. "I'm never gonna be able to study."

"Being dramatic won't help." Tweek said with a sharp tone, trying yet again to read and retain the information from this single sentence. 

"But you have to admit this room sucks." Craig said from his textbook.

Tweek held up his book with a small swivel of the wrist to make the pages flap around. "I'm reading." He honed back in to try and find the sentence in the sea of words, maybe he was on the wrong page. "Like you should be."

"You haven't turned a page for ten minutes." Craig lifted his head again and glared slightly, seeing a new challenge that would actually engage him mentally. "Come on. Let's just go to the library."

"No." Tweek kept his head down and in his book as he said. "Also for all you know I might be a slow reader."

"Says the person that flexes their reading retention certificates." Craig remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Tweek bit his lip to stop himself from giving the guilty smile his mouth was currently trying to give. "I said _no_ , Craig."

"Come on."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"I'll break up with you." Craig said with a toothy grin.

Tweek looked up, amused. "I didn't realize I was in such a manipulative relationship."

"I didn't realize I was in such a controlling relationship." Craig said with a shake of the head. "Won't even let me go anywhere."

Tweek just looked back down with a smile. He wasn't even trying to read anymore, he was just looking at the random assortment of words on the page in front of him. He should let him. He did seem like he just wanted to get through his work and he was on pretty good behavior aside from the math problem spat. Maybe Craig would be on even better behavior while he was there because he would see it as a special privilege. 

Tweek closed his book, he still had mixed feelings about the idea because of what could ensue. Although Craig did deserve this amount of trust from Tweek, he had given him every bad test and quiz with the confidence the tutor wouldn't judge. Not a whole lot of confidence, but it showed Tweek that Craig slightly trusted him.

Tweek gave a breath and looked up at Craig. "You're so annoying." 

He then put the book in his bag, grabbing the other things he had taken out during their session and began to put them away. After having fit everything in his satchel he stood and put the strap over his shoulder. 

"We're going?" Craig said with an excited smile.

Tweek walked to the door, hanging onto its frame to look back at the still seated male. "I am."

Craig piled all of his stuff into his arms then dumped it into his bag. The sight making Tweek cringe, knowing that some of his papers would have been crumpled in the process. Something that wouldn't matter to him usually, but Tweek had to look at those papers and he hated wrinkled papers. They always bothered him to no end, if he got a wrinkle in his papers he would have to get a new one.

As they walked down the halls to the library, Tweek reorganized the disheveled bag behind Craig. Taking out the papers and putting them in the right binders and folders. Having to walk on his tippy toes to see into the bag, attempting to properly fix the mess that Craig had made inside of it.

"You don't have to do that." Craig said, leaning back slightly to make it easier for Tweek to shuffle through his bag.

Tweek shook his head as he noticed how much had been crumpled and squashed in the span of 6 seconds. "Yes I do. It will bother me later if I don't do it now." He then saw a pack of cigarettes at the bottom of the bag and scowled, pulling them out to show to Craig. "What is _this_?"

"That-" Craig saw the pack and his eyes widened by a fraction, he's been caught. " _That_... is a box."

Tweek glared. "Not just any box." He then gave a weak hit to Craig's chest with the pack, the taller male wincing knowing that Tweek probably crushed some of the sticks in there. "You said you would stop."

"Not cold turkey." Craig reached out for the box, trying to retrieve them and put them out of sight before a teacher or snitch saw them. He didn't need someone thinking Tweek was smoking and the blonde flipping out and blaming him.

Tweek kept his hand back, leaning away from Craig as he tried to reach past him and grab the pack. "It's better you do cold turkey." He then shoved the pack into his bag, fastening the strap across his chest tighter to keep Craig from pulling any quick moves.

Craig didn't take any warnings from the blonde and his strap tightening, he instead grabbed onto it to pull Tweek towards him. The smaller boy coming forward in plenty of protest and annoyance. "It's better I give myself another week." 

Tweek swung his bag to behind him with a mean glare. "No, you should just cut it off already."

"They help me study." Craig said reaching back behind Tweek to try and grab for the bag, Tweek leaned back away from him. 

Tweek scoffed and tried to back away from Craig, but the male quickly clasped one hand on his waist to keep him from getting away. "Is a grade worth your health?"

The two continued to grab at one another and bicker back and forth, the argument getting louder and louder. The few people that did pass them not wanting to intervene or know what was happening between the two males, which only let them stay in their bubble of annoyance and heated tempers. 

"They have less!" Craig said still trying to reach for the pack behind Tweek, their stance evolving into a weird dip where one of Craig's hands supported Tweek's back while the other stretched for the messenger bag behind Tweek. 

"We've been over this! They don't have less nicotine than any other brand!" Tweek said, his hand hanging onto Craig's neck like a tree branch to keep him from falling. His other hand behind him and holding onto his bag with an iron grip, no way was he giving up on this fight. Craig's hand brushed his on the bag and Tweek went back more, his leg going up to counteract the strange imbalance of weight. 

"Hey you're being loud and-What the hell!"

Tweek and Craig turned their glares away from one another to see the person who had been trying to get them to calm down. 

Tweek smiled, his tone and face lighting up. "Token!"

"That guy!" Craig said in a mimicking tone, his voice raising to sound like Tweek's. 

Token rushed forward and pulled Tweek from the under arms away from Craig with an urgency, a glare sizing up the taller male in front of him. "Stay away from him."

Craig raised an eyebrow at the person who was currently trying to intimidate him despite the fact this same guy had said he was afraid of getting beat up by him not too long ago. With a small laugh at the irony Craig just shook his head. "I wasn't doing anything to him, he just grabbed my shit." 

Tweek released himself from Token's grip and flicked at Craig's nose with a frown. "Yeah, shit you shouldn't have." 

Token grimaced at the word being thrown around, swearing never really sat pretty with him. It more reminded him of something he would see the more reckless kids around the halls using, kids like Craig that were nothing but deviant low-lifes. Definitely something that shouldn't be coming out of Tweek eloquently spoken mouth. "Language."

"Oh sorry." Tweek said with a small wince, his head bowing slightly at the thought he made Token uncomfortable. 

Craig looked at the interaction with the same raised eyebrow he had from the beginning, the dynamic in front of him seeming weird. There was an ownership where it wasn't meant to be. "Fucks up with him?"

Token once again gave a disgruntled noise at the use of curse words, his nose scrunching up and lips pulling down as if to seal his mouth from reacting and using such a fowl mix of constonants and vowels. 

Tweek turned back to Craig with angry eyes, but a suppressed smile, like he was trying to conceal the true nature of the situation. It's nature being that, it's ridiculous this full grown eighteen year old is telling other eighteen year olds that they couldn't swear. "Craig, stop swearing."

"I'm fucking swearing?" Craig asked innocently, his head tilting and eyebrows furrowing in concern. The puff ball on the top of his head flopping to one side as he tilted his head, looking the equivalent to when a dog would tilt their head for a treat. "Holy shit." Craig then put his hands on his hips and looked off into the distance with this new realization. "Didn't even realize." 

Although he was bound to get scolded by Tweek, the scrunched up smile that Tweek had from his swears made it worth it. He liked making Tweek laugh, it was a weird satisfaction. Seeing someone who was so high strung suddenly give way and just let out a chortle, a chuckle or (in Tweek's case) a giggle was rather rewarding. Plus it didn't hurt that Tweek would be in a better mood after the antics. 

"Shit!" Craig said looking down. "My shoes un-fucking-tied." He squatted down to his unlaced shoes then glanced up to see Tweek's response to the misbehavior. He smiled as he saw Tweek bring up the neck of his sweater to cover his mouth. His mouth and smile waiting in there for Craig to be done speaking as in their fallout shelter. 

As Craig stood up from tying his shoes he caught Token giving him a look.

The look rubbed Craig the wrong way for many reasons, he recognized most of the stare from ones he usually gets. A certain amount of disgust being aimed towards him from the living Vineyard Vines mannequin. He usually gets that look from Tweek because he would burp without holding it in or he was wearing the same shirt from yesterday that had a cheese stain on it. So this one didn't impact him as much as the rest of the look did. The piece that stood out the most was the look that said he shouldn't be here. That he was a lost cause that was wasting Tweek's time.

Even if that was true this guy had no place telling him. Verbal or not. 

"Anyways..." Token said after dragging his judging eyes from Craig to look at Tweek with a gentle stare. "What I was going to say was, you guys are being super loud and everyone in the library can hear you yelling about nicotine."

Tweek sucked air in through his teeth and looked past Token into the open library doors that revealed a wide arrange of students who were glaring at the troublemakers. All of them trying to concentrate, but being disturbed by the ruckus named Tweek and Craig. " _Oh_... sorry."

"I'm not." Craig said out blatantly, his face flat as he looked at Token. 

Tweek hit at his side with a pointy elbow, the other male barely giving way from the small jab, only looking down at the blonde glaring up at him to give a self-satisfied smirk. Glad to have slightly bothered Token. Tweek shook his head then looked back at Token with a smile. "We were just having a heated debate over the pros and cons of smoking, that's all."

Craig rolled his eyes at the sweetened version of what had happened. 

Token nodded in thought then stopped to question. "In the middle of the hallway?"

"We were just about to go into the library. Our usual space is feeling a little cramped today."

Token smiled, he could get some time with Tweek while Craig does his work. Maybe even convey the idea that them hanging out on Saturday isn't going to be the platonic session Tweek thinks it is. "Sounds good. Come on in." He then walked into the library with a sparkly feeling in his stomach. 

Tweek was about to walk forward, but Craig grabbed his elbow to pull him back, Tweek glanced up at the other male in question. "What's wrong?"

"Is that your boyfriend or something?" Craig asked watching Token walk ahead of them. 

"What? _No_." Tweek's head moved back with the accusation, his face turning into a perturbed moue. "He's just my friend." Tweek then readjusted his bag and fixed his hair and clothes that had been slightly tousled from their previous altercation and walked into the library. 

Craig grinned as he saw Tweek catch up with Token. " _Aw_... that sucks man." 

Token's arms started to burn with soreness as he held the large pile of books, the usual cart had broken earlier today so he had to do the tedious job or carrying the returned books back and forth to their right places. It was slightly easier now that Tweek was here. He would take some of the stack from the top and put the books on the shelf. It was a nice rhythm that worked well except for when-

"Tweek, I have a question." 

Tweek put the four books in his hands back on top of Token's stack. Token groaned out as his arms screamed from the overbearing load of books in his arms. He took more than necessary to try and get Tweek to see the arms he had been toning up, but Tweek only seemed to notice that Token still hadn't said where they would go hang out this weekend. 

"Hold that thought, Toke."

Every other minute Craig would call Tweek over and ask him a question or need his help. 

Token understood that Tweek was Craig's tutor so he needed to be there if he needed help, but the main problem was the way Craig would look over at Token while Tweek helped him. 

He had a smirk. 

A self-righteous one that made Token just dislike the uncouth boy more. This absolute delinquent was purposefully trying to grab Tweek away from him just because he could. Just because he knew that if he rang that little bell Tweek would walk over and ask what he needed. It was even weirder seeing them interact, he knows that Tweek gets close sometimes, but he was outrageously close to Craig. 

His face pressing into Craig's space as he read out a passage, their arms squished together while Tweek spilled from his chair into Craig's without the knowledge of it. The innocence of Tweek's mindless closeness being clouded over with the conceited look on Craig's face. Tweek poked at Craig's chest to get his attention. 

"I think you're just overthinking here." Tweek then drew a line through some of the lines Craig had written for whatever low-level essay he had due. He then pointed at what was left over. "Remember what I said about fluff and peanut butter?"

Craig nodded and wrote a note to the side of the lines. "We want a peanut butter sandwich." 

Tweek smiled and got up. "Yep." 

Token felt himself cringe, the interaction was even weirder because of how happy Tweek seemed to be helping him and how content Craig was to being helped. It wasn't real how this relationship was working out, there was no way they had converted to one another in the span of two weeks. What had happened to when they hated each other?

"Sorry. So what were you saying about Saturday?" Tweek said, taking off the four books he was holding from before and giving Token some relief. 

"Uh..." Token stumbled out, still slightly baffled. "What was that?"

Tweek tilted his head. "The peanut butter sandwich?"

"Well that and other stuff." Token said with a frown. 

Tweek reached up and set one of the books between the authors Webie and Wedder. "Oh Craig has a small habit of adding stuff to his essays." Tweek then went on his tippy toes to reach the shelf higher and shove the second book into its place. "So I tell him that the extra doesn't really add anything and is like marshmallow fluff. It has no nutritional value." Tweek took a step back to look for the place of the next book, his eyes scanning the different names for the sore thumb spot where Miss Werner would fit. "And all the stuff that actually works in favor of his argument is peanut butter because it has a nutritional value." Tweek pinpointed the spot and shoved her between 'The Fables of Collin' and 'To Be Old Again', he then turned towards Token with a smile. "You know like protein." 

"A marshmallow fluff and peanut butter sandwich?" Token gave a slightly revolted face at the idea, sounds to say the very least like trash food. "Sounds gross."

Tweek shrugged and put the final book in his hands on a low shelf. "They aren't that bad." Token furrowed a brow as he thought of Tweek eating one. Tweek stood up and took a few more books with a smile. "Plus Craig liked them." 

"Of course _he_ would like them." Token rolled his eyes, feeling his arms give their own sigh of relief as Tweek took more books. 

Tweek furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes squinting a fraction but his smile still present. A strange offense hidden within the words. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Tweek, I don't know what this means." Craig called out from his spot. 

Tweek then set the books back down and walked over to the delinquent. "Coming."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in the middle of writing this and made a small drawing of what the pose Tweek and Craig do look like bc I don't think I explained it well 
> 
> '3'
> 
> https://rytherlover.tumblr.com/post/630817917711368192/repost-posted-this-one-just-to-show-the-process


	11. Interpretations Everywhere

"It's about time." Tweek said with his eyes still on the clipboard in front of him, signing off the different things he wants fixed on his car. "Anytime I drive anywhere people are looking at me like I hit someone."

Craig laughed at the thought of Tweek driving around and a suburban mother being appalled by the complete mauling that has taken place on the side of his car. "I think it looks cool like that. Real _tiger-esque._ "

Tweek snorted as he pulled his head away from the clipboard, scanning over to make sure he had answered every question to his satisfaction. "More like 'tiger _attack_ -esque'." He then placed the clipboard on the counter, giving a look around the small car shop. The different types of service they offered being displayed on the walls in bright blue and yellow stickers. Each one popping out with an eye hurting vibrancy to show Tweek the low low prices of a brand new paint job, or the cheap cost of having wax spread over your car's hood. 

"Still cool." Craig said leaning forward on the counter with his elbows, crossing his arms over one another. His eyes going down to the different services that Tweek had checked off. Smiling at the note written at the bottom that told the workers not to try and remove the ornaments hanging from the rear-view mirror while cleaning the inside of the car. Warning that if they tried the whole mirror will snap off. 

The little smiling face at the end of the note reminding him of the little smiley faces he gets when he does well on his homework. Craig having told him countless times to stop leaving those little faces over his homework because it was hurting his street cred. Sadly, Tweek doesn't know when to stop and only put more and more shining faces all over Craig's papers, but not too sad. Craig would be lying if he said he completely detested the faces cheering him on when turning in his homework. 

"Are you ready with ze forms?" A grungy looking male said while coming up to the counter, his lips carrying a loose cigarette and a heavy accent.

Tweek nodded. Slightly confused by the man, but pushed the clipboard forward anyways.

The man took them with some grumbling about god and the cries of him working in a car detail shop. Tweek laughed in shock as the man barked at a dog that was passing outside the shop, the dog hunching in fear and sneaking away.

Tweek kept his eyes on the character and leaned over to Craig, his head tilting up slightly to whisper towards him. "Is he French?"

Craig snickered slightly, leaning his head down to Tweek's ear to say quietly. "I think his accents fake."

"I'd believe that." Tweek whispered back, both boys not daring to look away from the sight of the person in front of them. 

Every action taken is accompanied by a complaint or trifle with the higher ups that had given him his life.

The man yelled out to the people behind the glass of the shops front, calling out to the sweaty over-worked looking men about the new car that Craig had brought in for repair. Shouting for an answer to a question that the two teens couldn't make out. The teens sharing a few more bouts of hushed laughter as the man tripped and cursed out god for being a cocksucker. After some more indistinctive yelling, he returned with a larger scowl and angrier eyes.

"Your car should be ready in a week."

Tweek did his best to smile without showing how much he wanted to laugh at the peculiar male. Only nodding with a tightlipped smile to say. "Alright. Thank you..." He squinted at the tag the man wore on his work polo. "Christophe?"

"Just call him Mole." Craig then grabbed one of the wrapped hard-candies from the glass bowl on the counter, favoring the red cherry flavor out of the assortment. "It's what everyone calls him."

"That's _Ze Mole_ to you!" He said with such conviction that the two teens in front of him were finding it even harder to hide their amusement. The French accent was suddenly too strong and sounding more on the verge of German than the former.

Tweek looked at Craig through the corner of his eye with a bitten smile and raised eyebrows. Trying to convey the message to him that he was on the verge of either laughing or running from the shop. Craig just turned Tweek away from the counter and said to him with a small push of the back. "Just wait outside for a me."

Mole stood at the counter, watching as Tweek left through the doors, his face being his usual depressed one. "Who is that?"

"That's my tutor." Craig then looked back to see Tweek standing outside petting the same dog that had been previously shooed and cast away by Mole. His eyes were gentle and smile soft as he stroked the mistreated stray, giving unheard coos to the filthy animal. Craig was slightly surprised that Tweek was touching something that could have rabies or probably hasn't been bathed since the day it was born. He wasn't sure if Tweek was being, naive or kind, to be uncaring of these attributes.

"Do you fuck?" Mole asked blatantly, his accent making the words seem even cruder and more harsh in the situation.

"No! What the hell, Mole?" Craig asked with a glare and a feeling in his stomach that made him want to lurch forward and smoke a cigarette, thinking for a brief moment he should steal Mole's. 

Mole shrugged and looked past Craig towards the male standing outside. "You look at him funny."

"You think every dog within a ten yard radius looks at you funny." Craig roughly reached into his back pocket to grab his wallet. Mumbling about how Mole has no right to tell him he looks at anything funny, then slammed a couple twenty dollar bills on the counter. "I'll give you the rest when the cars finished."

Mole narrowed his eyes and started to straighten out the bills to better fit into the register. "No need to get defensive." He then waved off Craig as he started to walk out of the shop. "See you soon Craig and your not-fucking tutor."

Craig rolled his eyes as he stepped out the door to join Tweek in his soliciting. "His _name_ is Tweek."

Tweek caught the tail-end of what Craig had said and tilted his head. "What was that about?"

"Nothing." Craig said with his head pointed up at the rusting ceilings of the shops roof, finding some interest in the birds nest that was starting to from in the corner. "Just him wondering how I know you."

Tweek nodded at the explanation, taking no meaning behind the sudden lack of eye contact. He then let out another suppressed giggled. "There's no way that guy was real." He then side-eyed Craig, grasping his jacket to pull the taller male's side down to get a better look at him. "Is this a prank?"

Craig shook his head at the question. Knowing his tutor still had some deep roots in his mind that told him, Craig was still waiting for the opportunity to get him back for what happened at the party. He finally looked Tweek in the eyes and smiled. "No. He's just some guy who works here and I happen to know."

" _How?_ " Tweek asked in pure fascination of how this delinquent could have managed to know such a character that, of course, only he would know.

Craig shook his head, recalling a bad interaction with a few bad people and Mole being there, saying it was in the name of the resistance to help Craig out. "It's a long a story."

Tweek's phone buzzed, interrupting what was about to be Tweek begging to hear what had happened between Craig and Mole that would make Mole someone that Craig knew and felt comfortable asking discounts and favors of.

"Darn it. Token's waiting for me by Harbucks." Tweek then looked up at Craig with a serious glare, backing away from him with his pointer finger aimed at him. "You will tell me that story one day."

Craig shook his head and called out to the retreating blonde. "It's really not worth it!"

"You will tell me!" Was the last Craig heard of Tweek for the day before he disappeared to go have Token pick him up. 

"What weather prediction should I believe?" Tweek said, his eyes lifting to Craig who was doing the flashcards Tweek made for him. They held all of the important dates that were involved with World War II and the different battles that occurred during the war. "The one on my phone or the one from the news?"

Craig glanced up at the troubled boy with a raised eyebrow. "Does it seem like I'm qualified to answer such a life changing question?"

Tweek took a spare sheet of paper to crumple and threw it at him. "Just answer." The piece of paper being batted away with the stack of cards in Craig's hands like a ball being hit by a bat. "It's important."

"The one on your phone. It changes throughout the week." Craig finally said, trying to go back to looking at his cards before he got to off track with Tweek's talking. He knew he was a talkative creature so when the blonde would speak, it would be something that he could surely go on about for hours.

"Was that so hard?" Tweek smiled as he finally got his answer, letting Craig get back to work as he looked at the weather. Pouting at the new knowledge that it was going to be cold this weekend and most of next week.

"Insanely." Craig put his head back down to his cards. Guessing the date for the Battle of Britain and getting not particularly close, but close enough for him to not take another moment thinking of it. He put the card behind the others, reading the date this time instead of the event. Just as he was about to guess what happened on June 4, 1942 his head perked up. "Why's the weather so important?"

_Damn, got off track._

"Oh, Token and I are going to the South Park Arboretum on Saturday and I wanna know how to dress." Tweek said pressing on the weather app on his phone to further inspect the credentials of the day.

Craig raised an eyebrow. "The hell is an arbor-reed-dumb?"

Tweek rolled his eyes, the action seeming more sweet than sour. "It's a pronounced ar-br-ee-tm." He then handed Craig his phone, letting the male gander at the different pictures of the place. "It's just a fancy park."

"Kind of romantic to bring your friend to." Craig said with a small grin towards Tweek, his eyebrows raising slightly in hopes of putting the innuendo he had in his head, in Tweek's.

Tweek glared. "I told you already that we don't like each other."

"I didn't say you liked him." Craig said with another cocky look on his face, a laugh rumbling in his throat.

Tweek gave a shiver, his body feeling a crawling sensation hovering over his skin at the allegation. "Stop your insinuating." He then sat up straight again, his back straightening to make him appear taller and moving pointedly as he said. "We are just going to go walk around a park and talk. That's a _friendly_ activity."

"Bet you ten bucks he makes it a picnic."

"Looks like I'm gonna owe Craig ten bucks." Tweek muttered to himself as Token spread out a yellow checked blanket on the ground.

"What was that?" Token finished setting down the blanket with a final smoothing down with his hands and a smile of completion.

The blanket sitting within a circle of different flowers and vibrant smelling trees, the leaves from them falling around the scene like purposely placed rose petals. All of the nature that surrounded the little area seemed to be pointing towards them, wanting to watch the circus that was about to take place in front of their very pretty faces.

"Nothing." Tweek said quickly, not wanting to bring up a subject that would quickly make this 'picnic' very awkward for one of the two parties involved. He looked on in creeping worry as Token sat and pulled a lunch bag of food into his lap, opening it to show an arrange of unknown treats.

Token then looked up at him with a smile. "Come sit. I made some stuff for us to eat."

Tweek sat slowly in front of Token, not sure if he should be addressing the one-sided elephant in the room or he should just let himself hang out with his friend and not let Craig infect his mind with preposterous worries. 

Deciding to just take it as it was presented to him, hanging out, Tweek gave a smile. Trying his best to perk up and seem in the ordinary as opposed to out of it. "What did you make? I'm actually pretty hungry because I forgot to eat lunch."

"I'm not quite sure what to call them. The website just called these Ballsies." Token said while taking out a container from the lunch bag he had brought with him.

Tweek laughed at the name. "Sounds fun."

That's when Tweek realized that they only _sounded_ fun, the activity of looking at them got a very different descriptor. A fitting word would be, _terrifying_. The idea that these were something that Tweek was going to have to put in his mouth was what mainly fuel the new word. They were globbish balls of... something. Something that on first glance Tweek would guess was just a ball of dough, but at second glance a frogs offspring sac.

Tweek looked at Token's happy face and felt his gut twist guiltily, he would feel too evil trying to reject these monstrosities of nature. Maybe they weren't that bad. "Did you try them already?" A silent prayer in the air that Token had tried them and said that they were delicious and they just looked like Jabba the Hutts pale, unmoving children.

"Oh no. I thought you would like to try them first." Token said motioning the container filled with small balls of death forward to Tweek.

Tweek forced a smile, his body trying hard to tell him to run and light those horrors on fire then tell Token never to pick up a kitchen related object again. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and gave a fake fist bump. "Oh _yay_. You shouldn't have." Tweek hesitantly reached his hand out for one of the globs. His fingers sinking into the protective skin they hand around themselves before breaking letting the innocent digit sink into the cold lava that was inside. Tweek feeling his gag reflex test itself out, just to see if it still works in case of emergencies. "You're too kind to me."

"Well I try to be." Token's face heated up and his head lowering slightly. The bashful look would be something Tweek would take notice of and put into the 'concern' pile in his mind, but the feeling of this ball of goo, that Tweek was pretty sure just peed on him, had him preoccupied. Token then gave a nod of the head. "Go ahead. Take a bite."

Tweek did his best to smile as he raised the ball up, the mass not being able to take the sudden movement dripped slightly into the hand he had below it. Tweek slightly wishing he didn't let his hand catch whatever bodily fluids that this thing had just squirted out. Lowering his head down to the 'treat' to assure no more movements that would startle it and make it release more from its orifices.

Tweek's mouth suddenly lost its trust in Tweek as he opened it to allow the glob to come near it, the dewy, wet skin touching his lip and making him quiver. Sending a chill up his spine and causing goosebumps throughout his body.

"Are you gonna bite it?" Token asked with an expectant smile.

Tweek made an affirmative noise, careful not to move and cause this treat to be more in his mouth than is already was. His teeth acting as the worlds slowest guillotine as they came down, millimeter by millimeter down to the ball. When they finally made contact the ball squirted out all of its organs into Tweek's mouth and causing that gag reflex to act up again. Quickly closing his mouth and hiding the sounds of his retching by nodding and smiling past his pain. The taste wasn't the problem. It was the consistency that was currently on the verge of curdled and runny.

"So is it good?" Token said with a smile and a lean forward.

Tweek wanted to cry as he nodded, his hand dropping the ball back into the container to make a fist over his mouth. No longer wanting to keep up a smile for this literal monster in his mouth, swearing he felt it move on its own. Squishing as much of the substance into his cheeks as possible to speak. Tweek barely voiced out. "What's in this?"

"Oh its amazing! It's vegan, gluten free and nut-less." Token pulled out his phone to further explain the 'food'.

" _And taste-less._ " The words being quiet and secluded as Token went on about the different fundamentals of the recipes and its health benefits. Tweek took his chance when Token wasn't looking to take his napkin and spit the ball out into it. 

Tweek would always sit and just have to wait for Token to finish talking about these things when he would start. Sometimes it would be him talking about how great whatever he was doing was for others and himself or how Tweek should try doing that thing. Tweek appreciated it and thought it was sweet that Token wanted him to try these things that were good for his health, but sadly Tweek liked flavor... And solid foods that didn't pee. 

"Even better is, because it's vegan that means it's good for the world." Token said with an excited smile.

Tweek gave a 'very interested' nod. "Wow that's great!" He then gave a small laugh and pinched Token's cheek. "You and your ideas."

"I have some more things you could eat if you want." Token said pulling the lunch bag forward, but Tweek laid his hand over Token's, stopping him. 

Tweek gave a quick shake of the head no. "I'm full."

"You can take them home with you for when you want more." Token said with a smile, his generous nature of opting out of the globs and making Tweek feel really jealous that Token didn't eat one.

Tweek smiled, knowing for a fact he would probably trash the gift immediately. "Sounds great. I'll even give some to Craig."

Token's face fell slightly at that, his eyes searching over Tweek's face for something. "Craig huh?"

"Yeah, he'll probably love these." Tweek laughed slightly as he recalled the pita chips. The bland eater always being thought of when Tweek sees anything remotely tasteless. "He really likes plain food."

Token's frown deepened, glossing over the fact Tweek had just called his balls plain because, for some reason, Tweek knew what foods Craig liked. "You kind of mention him a lot."

"Well I see him six out of seven days of the week... for hours on end." Tweek shrugged, feeling a shift in the air that made him feel a little cornered. The look coming from Token making him feel like he was on trial for crimes against their friendship. The sudden change confusing Tweek, why was Craig such a point of contention for Token. Anytime he was brought up, Token would get annoyed or at the very least in a slightly miffed mood.

"Speaking of which." Token squinted a bit more at the Tweek, a question popping into his head as he thought about the odd pair. "When did you guys suddenly because so... friendly?"

Tweek was at a small loss for words. 

The reason was a pretty common reason for people to band together. 

Some opposing force was bad and the two different sides wanted to either, get rid of that force or just know they weren't alone in the hate of this evil. So if anyone else were to ask Tweek, he would have answered honestly and just told them that he and Craig both hate Wendy Testaburger, but with Token asking why, it would come off a lot different. 

Telling your friend that you and a delinquent bond over the fact you both hate said friend's ex-girlfriend, probably wouldn't go over smoothly. 

"Uh... We both just... _love_..." Tweek stopped trying to think of something that would make sense for both of them to like, but not seem out of range for either of them. "Guinea pigs!" There was no way that could be wrong, because who doesn't like guinea pigs. 

Token raised an eyebrow. "Guinea pigs?"

"Yep." Tweek gave a meek smile, he didn't like lying, but he also didn't like hurting peoples feelings. "Those little balls of joy."

Token nodded in thought, feeling as though he wasn't quite seeing the full picture. "Weird." 

They continued the rest of their hangout session like usual, talking about the pleasantries of their life and the different weeks they had ahead of them. Although Tweek couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, something that wasn't usually there, but also felt like it should be. 

"That's why I'm a romance reader myself." Token said with a proud air. 

_Romance_

_Romantic_

_Kind of romantic to bring your friend to._

Tweek looked at the surroundings. They were encompassed by beautiful flowers and aromatic smells that were probably supposed to enact a feeling of love from people, or at least an enhanced one. There were birds singing songs and chirping around one another and couples holding hands as they walked around. 

"Hey Token?" Tweek said with hesitant feeling in his stomach. 

Token turned towards Tweek with a smile. "Yes?"

"Uh..." Tweek gave a second glance at their surroundings, even the checkered blanket they sat on had tiny little hearts on its border. "So... This isn't a... _date_... right?" 

Token's face burned at the question, finally he had been given the chance to make things clear. This was it. This was his moment. He let the question hang in the air as he stared at Tweek. The blonde's face held a small wince, brows turned up and face contorted in anticipation of what was to come. Maybe he wasn't ready for Token. He still needed time to fall for him the way Token had fallen for him. 

"What? Pfft." Token gave a fake laugh out, his eyes glossing over the roses that were held in the lunch bag. " _No._ "

It shouldn't be a problem.

Really it shouldn't. 

But most problems shouldn't be a problem either. 

Craig gave another sharp look towards Tweek as he thought about the 'problem' he was currently experiencing. 

The unsuspecting tutor was sitting doing his homework. Muttering something nonsensical to himself, his eyes still focused in front of him with a cat-like stare. Sharp and attentive, flicking through the page with a detailed accuracy that could only be from years and years of practice. He was being unusually loud with his mutterings today, but that wasn't the problem. 

Craig's eyes honed in on Tweek's neck. 

The space would usually be out in the open and free from fabric in his usual sweaters, but today it wasn't. 

Today it was covered with black ribbed fabric that clung to the neck with an urgency. Like a vampiric cloth made to suck onto skin had come to steal his flesh in the night. Craig wondered if the top made it harder to breathe, the whole shirt clinging to Tweek's body and outlining each indent and curve that could show from the jeans up. 

The shirt was bothering him. 

Tweek hadn't worn a turtle neck before.

He clicked his tongue as he thought about the new piece to Tweek's wardrobe. 

He knew why girls wore turtle necks, especially if they had just had a 'night' with their boyfriends. The reasons couldn't be the same. That would be weird. Tweek doesn't have a boyfriend nor can Craig imagine Tweek having a boyfriend. The thought being even weirder than the thought of what might be under the fabric clinging to his neck. Then again, he hung out with Token this weekend. 

He knew how Token feels about Tweek. 

_Maybe._

Craig felt himself cringe slightly, immediately stopping the thought from leaving the station. The thought of them doing anything of the sort to produce something Tweek would need to hide making Craig's stomach turn slightly. The idea of Token being on Tweek in anyway making Craig feel irked. The claim that Token seemed to want on Tweek was enough not to like him, but to think he would do something that would act as a 'claiming' mark made Craig feel strongly enough to take action. 

He needed to see for himself what was happening underneath that top. 

"Tweek."

His head perked up from his homework with the usual elated eyes and smile Craig would get when he would ask a question. "Hm?"

"Come here."

Tweek nodded, assuming he had a question and grabbing his chair to pull over to Craig's, settling next to the boy with a smile and a tilt of the head. "What's the problem?"

Craig kept his eyes on Tweek's clothed neck as his pencil pointed at a random question on the sheet in front of him. Not caring to see if it was a question he had already answered or not, but it seemed to work. Tweek soon engulfed himself in the question, going over it in his head with the directions being mouthed aloud subconsciously. 

While Tweek was busy, Craig let his hand slowly reach up to Tweek's shoulder. The hand not making contact, just coming up behind the blonde's neck silently. Craig's eyes sharpening as his fingers finally seemed close enough to the brim of the neck, the dark fabric laying just before Tweek's pulse. His fingers hesitated as they reached an inch closer to the slender part of the male.

"Okay so what went wrong in this question is actually kind of silly." Tweek said cheerfully. He then circled a chunk of the problem from the beginning. "Do you see the number you used here?"

Craig didn't take his eyes off the neck, but hummed in agreement anyways. "Uh huh."

His fingers finally taking the fabric and pulling it down gently, the more skin being exposed the better Craig felt. The skin was clear and smooth, the second part only being discovered because of his knuckles sliding against the long expanse while pulling down the shirt. 

"So if you were to redo the first part where you plug in the numbers you would see that you accidentally put a seven instead of a one." Tweek gave a happy little hum. "I told you that you keep making the hats on your ones too long." 

"Yeah." Craig mumbled out, still watching as the fabric bunched at the base of Tweek's neck. Feeling a sense of relief as the full uncovered neck was completely unmarked, still just the same pale length of skin it's always been.

"Usually they shouldn't mark you off if-W-What are you doing?" Tweek said after realizing the foreign feeling on his neck. Previously being too entranced in the homework question he had been given, but now was aware of the sensation of warm fingers sinking into the neck of his shirt.

"Nothing." Craig withdrew his hand with a clearing of the throat, looking at Tweek with a smug smile. "How'd your date with Token go?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sniff sniff* is that my plot I smell coming together? 
> 
> lol hope you enjoyed this chapter
> 
> '3'


	12. Late Nights

Tweek hummed to himself as he finally took a seat in his chair, the student room welcoming him with its usual bore.

A place to let the worries of the day slip off of him and just sink into the hard plastic of the school's chairs. The clock on the wall had been stolen by a certain delinquent as a joke, initially Tweek was outraged, but these quiet moments without the faint ticking that usually seemed magnified by the bare room was bliss. As much as he hated on the room, it was good for sitting in with your eyes closed and letting time slip by.

"Maybe I could give us the day off." Tweek breathed to himself, stretching his arms forward with a smile. He was completely free to just be him for the day. Something that Tweek didn't know he wanted, but now that it was an option he desperately needed.

He had two substitutes. One of them had the class do a work sheet that went by fast enough while the other put on a movie about the art of bees and how they make honey. It was a beautiful film in his opinion-even though honey is just bee vomit-the deep and calm voiced man that explained the different parts of the honey process left Tweek feeling sleepy and happy. That could be the explanation for this suddenly relaxed mood. Or maybe it was the fact he didn't have any homework tonight, or that he had no tests or quizzes this week, the whole week seemed to be on track for it being good.

He'd been stressed since the day he walked into high school and every now and then he got a day to stop and smell the mediocre flowers that bloomed. Trust him, high school doesn't hold too many roses, but does hold some nice hibiscus flowers. The stressors of AP testing and the different scores he could get, the different scholarships he had to uphold for college, what he wanted to do with his future.

That was all gone right now.

He gave a soft sigh as he tilted his head back to further enjoy this moment to himself, completely and utterly to himself. Rolling his shoulders back and giving out yet another soft noise of peace.

"Ice cream." Tweek said, bringing his head back up. Reaching down to grab his phone from his bag and look up an ice cream shop nearby, walking sounded really nice right now. Just being outside sounded nice right now.

A sad fact about the hibiscus flower: they have very short bloom times. They only last a day. Or in Tweek's case, five minutes.

"Tweek!"

The tutor gasped at the sudden intrusion of Craig into the room. The loud presence knocking down the content palace walls he had built around him, falling apart like the sand castle it was. No words could describe the feeling of loss Tweek currently had, the sand of his castle washing up in mucky chucks of reality. Tweek feeling his moment leave as if it were an animal who had been frightened by the brash entrance of his delinquent.

Tweek gave a sigh, looking at the address for the ice cream place that had only been five minutes away. He turned off his phone and put it in his bag, looking up reluctantly at Craig. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember that history project that was due the 27th?" Craig rushed out, his heavy breathing signaling he wasted _no_ time-giving mean looks to people down the hallway-getting here.

Tweek nodded, still secretly daydreaming about what he would have gotten from the shop. They had a mocha flavor with little chocolate dipped coffee beans in it, could have gotten that and maybe some whipped cream on top. Maybe even some chocolate sprinkles to make it look aesthetically pleasing. Could have made an insta post off it.

"Do you also remember that problem I have with my one's?" Craig asked knowing damn well he brought the problem on himself and he shouldn't be riddling Tweek with the struggle of a weeks worth of homework in one night.

Tweek's face fell even further from the state it had been in. " _Craig._ " He whined. " _Please_ don't tell me that your history project is due tomorrow."

Craig winced at the tone and the sudden distraught being shown on Tweek face. The blonde looked personally wounded by the news, his shoulders deflating along with his spine. The usually prim and proper posture that Tweek possessed having been exorcised from his body because of the news.

Taking out a random piece of paper from his bag along with a pen, Craig wrote on the back and handed it to Tweek.

"What is this?" Tweek asked as the paper was passed across the table.

Craig gave a shrug as he sat in his seat. "You told me not to tell you."

Tweek looked at the paper he had been given, letting out a small defeated groan as his worst fear in the moment had been proven true. Craig had written down his project was due the 27th when it was instead due the 21st.

Tweek let his head fall down onto the circle table. He wanted desperately to keep his head there and sink into the lull of the room that usually waited for untrained divers, but he couldn't.

He may have signed up to be an after school tutor because he thought no one used them and he just wanted some extra credit, but he had signed up. He signed up for a responsibility, no matter how ill-time or unorganized the person. Craig needed him not to be a little bitch just because he had a good day and help him with his project that he definitely should have noticed was due tomorrow _before today_.

"Okay." Tweek picked his head up and gave a quick breath. Trying to exhale the last bits of relaxation that had been in him and get back into the working mode he usually had himself in. "We can do this."

"Really?" Craig asked skeptically. "It's a paper and a slideshow."

Tweek nodded. "Just depends on how long you're willing to stay here." 

Thus the most grueling hours of Tweek's tutoring life began.

Nothing quite beats the feeling of having someone tell you that they don't like the way you set up a power point quite like the way Craig does it. Stating the fact that using Times New Roman didn't look nice while talking about the economic stress that taxes give. That Calibri looked much better. It was even weirder for Tweek to see Craig get bent backwards over the different pictures he would use. Despite the time crunch, Craig still had a strange need to make sure he thought the slideshow was 'nice to look at'. To which Tweek answered that the project being done would be nice to look at.

When they finished changing fonts and adding pictures, Tweek made Craig present it to him. Just to make sure he wouldn't accidentally mess anything up during the presentations tomorrow and go into a moody state. Something that Craig insisted wouldn't happen, but Tweek knew better than that. He knew well enough that Craig, on a good day, was self-conscious about school. So mixing the humiliation of stuttering on the word 'amortization' and a bad case of the jitters, seemed like a bad recipe that would end in a mildly depressed Craig the rest of the week.

They took a small snack break which consisted of Tweek sharing the last of his pretzel sticks with Craig, but shamefully hoarding the hummus for himself.

The final part of their night had come when Craig was writing his paper, Tweek throwing ideas out and Craig taking the different aspects he liked and using them in his writing. It worked pretty well. Tweek being a walking thesaurus and Craig not knowing a whole lot of creative ways to start a sentence other than 'The author says-' or 'The article states-'.

"In conclusion-"

"No. No. No." Tweek then appeared over Craig's shoulder, hitting the backspace to clear the last two words. "Never say 'In conclusion'. Try..." He stood straight and backed off as he thought about a good way to end the essay that had been taking way longer than Tweek would have liked. "Try saying something like 'In the long run, decreasing taxes would better help... yada yada."

Craig smirked. "How do you spell _yada_?"

Tweek rolled his eyes and pulled Craig's hat over his eyes, effectively blinding the writer for the moment. "You don't."

As Craig wrapped up the last remaining pieces of his argument, Tweek texted Token. He had been getting rides from his friend to and from school during the week since his car was in the shop, but usually he's done at five. So the ripe hour of nine made the blonde a little anxious for texting his friend. Knowing Token, he was probably already in bed and trying to fall asleep. He didn't like waking him up, but he sure as hell wasn't walking the four miles home. He had texted Token earlier that he wasn't going to need the ride home at five today, but he didn't mention he might need one later.

Token texted back as Tweek and Craig were walking out of the school.

Token: _Why are you there so late? I'll be there in 20._

The two male's stepped out of the school doors, the cold air hitting them like two strong slaps in the face. Tweek feeling the air going straight through the holes of his sweater. The knitting being too thick and leaving too many wide spots that let air shoot into his-used to be warm-top. He shivered and tried to be a man about the sudden breeze inside his shirt, only clenching his jaw for comfort. Craig's only response to the weather was zipping up his jacket and moving onward.

"See ya, Tweek." Craig let out as he started to walk towards the only car left in the school's parking lot.

Tweek gave a wave. "See ya."

Craig halted as he thought about Tweek. 

The realization and sudden memory jog being that, Tweek didn't have his car. He was standing here waiting for a ride at 9:28 at night, in the cold, in South Park, in nothing but a small sweater, and once again, _at night_. He turned around in the street to look at the slightly shivering blonde. "Where's your ride?"

"Oh Token should be here soon." Tweek said with a dismissive wave, glancing off to the side after he finished speaking, expecting nothing else from the question.

Craig furrowed his brows. The idea of Tweek waiting for Token for however long the guy would take, _alone_ , not sitting right with him. He walked back to the curb with an inquisitive tilt of the head. "Do you know how long?"

"He said in twenty-ish minutes." Tweek picked his phone from his bag to look at how long ago Token had texted saying he was coming. It had only been a couple of minutes, which meant plenty more time in the breezy South Park air that was the biggest middle finger to the barely warmed skin Tweek had left.

Craig frowned and took the next three steps to stand next to Tweek. "I'll wait with you." 

The brief moment of Craig's shoulder brushing against Tweek's giving the smaller boy a momentary feeling of relief. The small amount of warmth shared meaning the world to the goosebumps grazing across his skin. Then Tweek heard and processed the words, taking them in with the sudden closeness of Craig. 

"Don't." Tweek said taking a side step away from the heater that he only wanted to be closer to. "I'll be fine." He started pushing at Craig's arms in attempts to make him walk to his car, looking up with a smile as he said. "I can take care of myself."

Craig kept himself still, the meek pushes against his arm giving him all the more reason to stand here with Tweek. Giving a single pointed look as he said. "I believe you _think_ you can take care of yourself." He looked up and away from Tweek, keeping his eyes forward so he didn't have to see whatever offense would sprout on Tweek's face. 

"Hey!" Tweek then gave a slightly harder push to the side of Craig's arm. "I totally can. I took boxing when I was a kid."

Craig gave a snort at the statement, looking down at Tweek's small pouting face. Although he wanted to cut it straight with Tweek and tell him about the different things he had seen happen to people while he's been out during these late hours, he knew Tweek would let the sentiment go right over his head. Only taking it as a declaration of weakness when it was actually a declaration of insanity on the town.

"Look, I would feel guilty if you had a run in with the people that usually lurked these streets and I decided to go home instead of taking the twenty minutes to just stand here." Taking another look at the thin arms that only appeared bigger because of the sweaters he wore and the male's shorter stature. If he were to be jumped by any of the weirdos that run around the town at night, he would be easily thrown around and probably easily hurt. It wasn't a discredit to Tweek it was, once again, a discredit to the town and sickos that lurked in it. "It's not for you. It's for me."

Tweek gave another moment of looking towards Craig, ultimately just scoffing and looking out at the expanse in front of him. The parking lot had been stripped of everything that made it was it was and left Tweek feeling like he was in an unknown place. The look of dark cement and faded white lines should have been eerie, but it wasn't. 

Maybe it was because Craig _was_ here, acting as the shield he didn't think he needed. Deciding to be slightly grateful for him but, the idea of Craig waiting still not sitting right because of all the other things that he had to do tonight. Tweek guessed that Craig, unlike him, had other homework for different classes, but they were pushed aside because of the undone project. Taking this point as the perfect counter argument, he perked up again. "What about your other homework?"

"What about it?" Craig said with a raised brow.

"You spent all day working on the project. Don't you have other homework to do?" Tweek said turning back towards Craig. "You still have to read three chapters for English by tomorrow."

Craig tilted his head, awed by the way Tweek seemed to have the knowledge about something so minuscule as how far he was in a book. Squinting to try and see if he had missed the crystal ball and bead curtains that should have been around Tweek. The male always having some idea about Craig that was scarily accurate. "How do you know that?"

"You doggy-eared chapter five." Tweek said with a semi-guilty smile. His head tilted with a pleading look, the green eyes were big with an alarming amount of care that Craig thought was misplaced. The look shooting a dagger through the taller male and making him want to take a step back. "You should go home. Don't waste your time if you have other stuff to do."

Craig stared at Tweek, slightly more marveled by how his tutor could be compassionate, but also a mini tyrant at times. Craig's eyes scanned over the pale face as he thought about the reasoning he had been given for going home. He honestly should be going home and doing his homework before he lost steam and called it in for the night, but he couldn't leave Tweek here defenseless. Leave and get what he needed done and let Tweek potentially take on a group of muggers alone. Stay with Tweek and have his grades sink from the brink of the iceberg they are one. Both scenarios left a bad cloud over Craig's head, but one outcome seemed right.

Finally giving a breath and letting up on the intense stare he gave Tweek, Craig said a passive. "You're right."

Tweek smiled, relieved Craig was about to be making his way home to finish his work for the day. A polite, "Thank you." being breathed out. 

Then in a flash, Craig took Tweek and threw him over his shoulder. The movement being too quick for Tweek to acknowledge and realize what was happening. Craig letting out a small grunt as he adjusted Tweek on his deltoids, his arms wrapping around Tweek's legs after he was settled; feeling the tightening of muscles through jeans from the sudden change in altitude. Blue denim now floating in the air in a flash of long legs and green tennis shoes. Tweek's eyes widened as he found himself suddenly staring at Craig's backpack, his hair falling down into his eyes as he was hung upside-down. The full comprehension of what was happening setting in as Craig started walking with him over his shoulder.

" _Craig! _What on earth do you think you're doing?!" Tweek shouted as he hit Craig's backpack with his fists, his legs starting to flail around in attempts of getting put down.__

__Craig just kept walking, taking one hand off of the legs he was holding to pat down his pockets. Searching for where he last put his car keys. Calmly saying out as he found the keys in his front pocket. "I'm not wasting my time when I have other stuff to do."_ _

__"I meant for you to just leave! Not do whatever it is you're doing!" Tweek gave another hit to Craig's bag, the action not seeing any reaction because of the different binders inside of it absorbing the force._ _

__Craig stopped in front of the passenger door, putting the key in the lock to open it. The task being so casual and not as if he had a whole person over his shoulder, but instead a gym bag. "I'm driving you home. It takes less time than waiting for Romeo and it puts my mind at ease."_ _

__"Don't try and act so galliant, you asshole!" Tweek went to cross his arms as his usual reaction to the Craig antics, but felt himself wobble from the height he had been put on. Letting out a small 'woah' as his hands grabbed onto Craig's waist for stability. Once he got back his balance, his face scrunched up in anger again despite Craig being unable to see it. "You could have just asked!"_ _

__"You're too pleasant to accept." Craig said plainly, unlocking the door._ _

__Opening the door with his one hand and very ( _un_ )eloquently dropping Tweek into the passenger's side seat. Tweek's body plopping down with a quick thud, but the seat's springs bouncing him back up. Craig then shut the door before Tweek could open his mouth to say anything to the grabbing that just occurred. Tweek put on his seat belt then shifted around angrily in his seat, the old and cold leather making his butt cold and him uncomfortable._ _

__Craig walked around to the drivers side and hopped in with a straight face that didn't show he had just picked up his tutor and threw him in his car. Checking his mirrors with a quick glance before putting the key in the ignition. Tweek watched the scene with a gaping mouth and fuming eyes._ _

__"You're not going to say anything?!" Tweek blurted out into the silence of the car._ _

__Craig looked at him with a raised eyebrow. His keys being put into the ignition and turning, the truck letting out a cough and releasing the bug in its throat before starting. The small vibrations from the engine shaking from Tweek's seat all the way up to his shoulders. "You're welcome...?"_ _

__"You're welcome?! Why should I be thanking you?!" Tweek shouted, his hands flying up in opposition, his frustration only rising from the calmness Craig was showing._ _

__Craig then shifted his gear into reverse, backing out of the spot he was in. "Because I'm driving you home. By the way, where do you live?"_ _

__Tweek scowled and grabbed Craig's phone. "I'll just put in the address." He took the delinquents thumb and pressed it against the home button to unlock the device, opening up the gps app._ _

__After putting in his address Tweek sat in his seat without a word, still feeling peeved by the fact Craig had quite literally thrown him into his car. During his frustrations he suddenly remembered Token was still on his way to pick him up from the school. He shot him a quick text to let him in on the situation, expecting-and secretly hoping-not much for an answer... but of course that wasn't the case._ _

__Tweek: _Nvm on the ride. Craig's driving me >:/ _____

____Token: _WHaT__ _ _ _

____Token: _You got into a car w/ him?!__ _ _ _

____Tweek frowned as Token proceeded to explain every feeling he had about Tweek riding in a car with Craig through text. Going onto to say that putting himself in that car is the same as putting Tweek's life into his (direct quote) 'probably unwashed hands'. His phone buzzing around like it was being called when it was only being texted, the small buzzes starting to tickle Tweek's hand like a pesky mosquito. The alerts only worsening his mood and his only catharsis for the annoyance was to let out a well-voiced groan._ _ _ _

____Craig raised a brow and glanced over at the blonde. "What's with you? Not still angry are you?"_ _ _ _

____"Yes, I'm still angry!" Tweek said pointedly before calming down, huffing out the sudden vibrant return of his anger. He turned Token's notifications on silent, not wanting to have the steady stream of buzzes against his hand anymore. Breathing in and out enough times to respond to Craig. "It's just Token. He's being... _paranoid_."_ _ _ _

____Craig grinned, basking in the knowledge he had somehow managed to get underneath Token's skin without even trying. "He thinks I'm having my way with you?"_ _ _ _

____Tweek smiled slightly at the jest, opening up the 30th text that stated 'Craig is dangerous!' and how he should open the door then 'tuck and roll'. "Kinda."_ _ _ _

____"He needs to get laid or something." Craig said with a snort, shaking his head at the male that- might not seem like it, but-is somehow higher strung that Tweek. It was different, but more nonetheless._ _ _ _

____Tweek grimaced at the words and punched at Craig's arm, not wanting to envision his friend having intercourse. "Don't say that! It's gross!"_ _ _ _

____"What? It's _true_." Craig took a look towards Tweek, his face still looking very unamused with his word choice. " _Fine_. He needs a girlfriend or something."_ _ _ _

____Tweek gave a disapproving shake of the head, knowing he still meant what he said earlier. He glanced out the windshield as he thought about the words, they might be true. He's been so on edge lately, probably because of Craig. He knew they butted heads, but what was he supposed to do about two grown teens fighting over an unknown argument. He supposes it was just a difference of opinions and people._ _ _ _

____A girlfriend might do him good in distracting him from his sudden 'Craig problem', but that might not be the smartest idea. The last one didn't go so well. Tweek frowned out the window at his own thoughts, not wanting to bring it up but it coming out anyways. "He did have one."_ _ _ _

____"Really?" Craig laughed slightly and tried to imagine who this person would date. Probably someone stuck up like him. Thinking they are god's gift to mankind and how they will come to save all the starving children of the world with a good attitude and a smile. "What girl would date him?"_ _ _ _

____"Wendy." Tweek said flatly._ _ _ _

____Craig's eyes shot open, he had hit the nail on the head, but he wasn't expecting it. "What? Don't you hate her?"_ _ _ _

____"Yeah." Tweek sighed out, his head falling back against his seat with a frown. "It's complicated."_ _ _ _

____Craig looked at the time until they arrived at Tweek's house and shrugged. "We've got time." Tweek rolled his eyes at the 'enthusiasm'._ _ _ _

____"Okay." Tweek bit his lip as he thought about the story. "Where to start..."He mumbled, taking a moment to think before he started up again. "Well, Wendy and I used to be best friends freshmen year." Craig spared a look towards Tweek, surprised by the old ties. "We knew each other since middle school. Then around sophomore year her and Token started dating. I hadn't met him before and he seemed like an okay person to be around so we all started hanging out."_ _ _ _

____"Sounds like quite the get-along bunch." Craig retorted as he thought about the three of them prancing the halls talking about different school committees and which color of beige would go the best with the schools lockers._ _ _ _

____Tweek smiled faintly at the memory. "We actually were." His smile widening slightly as he thought about them. "My only friend for a long time was Wendy. So all the sudden having another friend was really nice."_ _ _ _

____Suppressed memories of Wendy and Token being his whole world for a couple months flooded back into his head. Wendy would always drive Tweek to school and they would get coffee together. Talking about the different boys they thought were cute and indulging in different ways they had organized their rooms. Marie Kondo's name becoming gospel between them. Then Token already being at school when they got there, saying he thought it was risky to be getting coffee before school. Not wanting to accidentally tarnish his attendance record. Wendy and Tweek would always just laugh off his fixation with the record. They would eat lunch together, they would go to clubs and rallies together, they did everything together. The small group of them would face the school days as a team. Each one of them acting as a part of the strong triangle that kept themselves afloat. If one of them was hurt, the other two would bring the afflicted person up and help them. Battling the world as the three musketeers and even going as the three blind mice for halloween one year_ _ _ _

____Craig caught Tweek's face sprinkle with different emotions as he periodically glanced at his face, twinges of happiness erupting in his mouth every so often. The small smiles looking like he was recalling an old Christmas he had with his family instead of a few happy times with his friends. His eyes shone with the light of the moon and the firelight warmth of these happy thoughts._ _ _ _

____Then his smiled faded._ _ _ _

____"All the sudden she started being a lot sassier to me. She would say a lot of backhanded things to me." Tweek's eyes harshened as he spoke. "Really backhanded things." He let out a breath and every trace of his smile had completely come and gone. "So when her and Token started fighting, I wasn't too surprised because at that point, she was being mean to both of us."_ _ _ _

____Craig pulled over, not wanting to distract himself from Tweek while he's putting himself out like this. Also the fact he couldn't stop himself from looking at Tweek while he was talking was starting to be a driving hazard. Tweek glanced over to see why he had stopped, Craig looked back with a nod to have him continue._ _ _ _

____"Then they broke up." Tweek prodded at his fingers at one another as he thought about the day it happened. "Token broke up with her, but after they broke up was a bigger problem." Tweek's brows furrowed as his fingers started to twist one another around. "She came to my house and started to curse me out. Saying I was... that I was..." He sighed and shook his head, chasing away the bad thoughts with a shiver. Taking a glance at Craig for the third time in the whole story. "It doesn't matter I guess."_ _ _ _

____Tweek gave a sad smile, his lips just barely twitching up to make the expression. "And the rest is history."_ _ _ _

____He bit the inside of his cheek with a shake of the head, recalling the events making everything seemed more absurd. At the time it was a gradual process of salty comments and weird looks when Token and him would hang out, but now stepping back and thinking about it. Tweek could see how crazy it had gotten with the drama. He could see when it happened. Just after her and Token had been dating for six months, she suddenly got angry._ _ _ _

____"I just wish I knew the reason." Tweek finally said aloud, the small pause being filled once again. "Neither of them ever told me."_ _ _ _

____Craig's eyes sharped as he looked at Tweek. He knew. He didn't have to have someone tell him, every sign and cue from each involved party being clear as to what happened. How did Tweek not know?_ _ _ _

____Craig wet his lips, his brows drawn taut and jaw clenched. His voice just below his regular volume as he said. "I think I'm looking at the reason."_ _ _ _

____The quieted voice making Tweek look up and the words making his brow's furrow. The gaze between them feeling heavy as they gazed at one another. Both trying to reach a conclusion, but both failing in communicating to the other through the eye contact. Tweek's eyebrow twitched slightly as Craig continued to stare at him. In a second thought of what he could mean, Tweek slowly started to turn his head to look out the car window that was behind him._ _ _ _

____His eyes caught an old bus stop bench that had an advertisement pasted to its seat and back. Tweek's lips and face perking up from the words that were sprawled out over it. Glad to have Craig be taking away some of the seriousness in this moment, reading out as he turned back towards him. "High mortgage rates?"_ _ _ _

____" _Yep_." Craig gave a defeated smile, his intent going over Tweek's head and then some. He let his hand land itself on top of the blonde ball of hair in front of him and gave a quick ruffle. "They're killer."_ _ _ _

____Tweek pushed at Craig hands with a small laugh. "Oh _shut up _." His voice sounding back to its normal cheer and Tweek himself seeming more than normal now. The small funk that Tweek had talked himself into had left the male's mind and replaced itself with something lighter. Like a grave secret had been released from his soul.___ _ _ _

______Craig only smiled at the new shine Tweek seemed to have. Starting the car back up to start driving again, the car also had a new life to it as it started. It didn't cough or choke, it just sang a rusty song of exhaust._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______"This is me." Tweek said unbuckling his seat belt._ _ _ _ _ _

______Craig glanced at the large house._ _ _ _ _ _

______He had always assumed that Tweek was... prosperous. The idea rooting from the clothes he wore and the aggressively high-tech school supplies he had, but he didn't realize that Tweek had such a lavish looking home. The two-story home was sturdy and pretty cookie cutter based on the other homes that surrounded it. Although it was more basic than the other homes around it. The neighbor's flower beds shining bright against the early established bushes in front of Tweek's house. The plain white siding of the house rippling down into grass while the house next door flourished in its bright yellow hue._ _ _ _ _ _

______Although it was new and obviously kept up to date, the house itself reminded Craig of a ghost town, like no one had lived there in a long time. Its presence seeming empty._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Your parents aren't home?" Craig asked after noticing there were no lights on in the house._ _ _ _ _ _

______Tweek picked up his bag with a nod, slinging the satchel over his head and across his body. "Yeah, my parents are out of town." His eyes then flicked up from his bag to Craig's with a glare. "Don't get all ' _protector_ ' on me again." Tweek's hands going up to make quotes around the word protector. _ _ _ _ _ _

______"I'm not going to." Craig said with an eye roll. "I was just wondering because all the lights in the house are off."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Tweek opened his door and hopped out of the truck, leaving his hand that was about to shut the door on its edge. "Thanks, Craig._ _ _ _ _ _

______"No problem."_ _ _ _ _ _

______They both stayed still in a moment of peace, the night had been long for both of them. They had both gone through the same trials of the day, so for them to just sit and look at each other felt nice._ _ _ _ _ _

______"See ya."_ _ _ _ _ _


	13. Brawls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update is later than usual for the week, school just decided it wanted to see what my sad face looks like. So if this chapter is a little ( _very_ ) unedited, blame school. 
> 
> Also side note, after some drawing and deliberation I think I might change Craig's eyes to green. 
> 
> '3'

"Craig! You home?" Laura called out. 

The patio door was slightly ajar, leaving Laura to believe her son had left it open as usual. He was always leaving minuscule messes and slight problems around the house. They were small, but noticeable. Like all the cereals she had just organized by color were always misplaced by the morning when she left for work. The Cocoa Puffs would always be out from the far right and placed right in the middle next to the Apple Jacks. Or she would have just vacuumed or mops and there would be distinct footprints in the home of someone who didn't take off their shoes before coming in. It would drive her up the wall, but it told her that Craig was there and he was safe. He was safe eating cereal with his shoes on. 

A plain 'yeah' emitted from the dining room. 

Laura smiled at the voice and walked in, making sure to fully close and lock the door as she called out. "You left the door open." She place her bag on the kitchen table and mumbled. "As always."

Another plain 'yeah' came from Craig.

She caught sight of the mail on the kitchen table, Craig must have brought it in. A slightly nice deed that hasn't been done before. Except for when there was a letter home from school, but those are usually accompanied with a call. "Doing homework?" She leaned on the doorway to the dining room to look at him, he was hunched over his papers and biting on the tip of his pencil. She hadn't seen him do that in a long time. "Hard homework?"

Craig finally turned around, first letting the pencil drop from his mouth to roll off onto the table then his work. "Yep."

The mother then noticed the strange smudge of something almost identical to his skin color, but the smallest tints lighter, smeared across his cheek near his mouth. She frowned slightly and walked forward to grab the boys face with one hand and wipe the smear with her thumb. "What's on your face?" 

"Hummus." Craig tried to squirm his head back while his mother tried to get the remnants of the smeared dip off his face.

Laura squinted slightly as she inspected the hummus on her thumb. "Where did you get hummus from?"

"Tweek." Craig said with a final pull of the head away from his mothers hand. 

Laura raised a brow. "You're getting along with your tutor?" 

"Yeah, he's cool." Craig said grabbing his phone to start texting Tweek for some more homework help. Despite the fact Tweek double checked that day if he had any problems and him saying no. To say he lied as not to keep his tutor any longer than the already over-extended 2 hours on a Friday of all days, was an understatement. He fibbed his ass off. "Think I'm gonna have to text him now actually."

Laura smiled at the statement. She remembered the dramatic battle that occurred when she told him she had gotten him a tutor, it was filled with what was going to be broken promises and guilt-traps. It was absolute chaos just to make sure he went to the meeting with the tutor, having to take time off work just to follow him to work wasn't fun. Nor was coming back during the work day just to make sure he wasn't going to skip the session. 

_But._

Now he was here and he was doing his homework. Willingly going to his sessions with the tutor. Also, _apparently_ , sharing snacks that involve hummus with the same Tutor. It made that little worried voice in the back of her head feel a little calmer. 

"Your dad would be happy to see you like this."

Craig froze in his spot, his fingers no longer typing out his message and eyes widening a fraction before glaring at his phone. His jaw tightening and face becoming sour. The happyish mood he had been in had been tarnished. Laura didn't mean to say it out loud. She didn't think her mouth and conscious would act out against her in this way, but they did. 

"I'm going out." Craig said getting up from his spot, his working being abandoned. 

Laura frowned walking after him as he went to the front door. "I'm sorry, Craig. It slipped. It's bound to happen somet-"

"Bye Mom."

He left, he was out, he wasn't safe. 

"Craig! It's been too long!" Chef said as Craig walked through the bars doors.

Craig gave a small smile at the open arms from across the counter. "Sorry. Would've come by sooner if it weren't for school." He let himself collapse onto a barstool seat and his arms rest on the counter, taking notice to the slightly higher amount of shady characters around the place. In particular a man standing in the corner giving Craig a mean look from the sudden welcome he had been given. He hadn't seen the male around Skeeter's before. Craig had been visiting here for three years, if someone was new around town, he would know.

Craig took his eyes off the peculiar man, reasoning with himself that he had probably started coming around while he was busy trying to learn.

" _School_? You're taking that seriously now?" Chef asked incredulously, his eyes wide with fascination before falling into a devious glare. His whole face contorting into something more smug and 'understanding'. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that _Tutor_ of yours."

Craig furrowed a single brow. "What's with that look?"

"Oh nothing." Chef gave a small chuckle. "Do I get to know his name yet?" He then pulled out his usual small bowl of nuts with a smile. "Nuts?"

"No. I know you'll just look him up on Facebook." Craig pushed the bowl away with a soft hand and a small grimace, not wanting to show his full distaste for the small bowl of nuts. "And you know the answer."

"Fine, but I'll get you." Chef replaced the nuts to their rightful place and then turned his attention back to Craig. "So tell me, how's your tutoring going with Mister Mysterious?" Chef gave a cackle as he said. "Last I heard, you were going to 'wipe the floor with him'."

Craig let himself cringe at the statement he left Chef with. The words had been the furtherest from the truth because Tweek was the one that had wiped the floor with him. It was strange to think about how angry he was with the tutor not too long ago, but a crazy car ride and a girl named Wendy changed all that. Now this tutor was someone that he could... _he could..._

"Hm." Craig stopped his train of thought.

Chef raised a brow at the sudden halt of his friend and nudged Craig's elbow on the counter with his own. "You there?"

"Huh? Yeah." Craig shook his head slightly, chasing away the strange thoughts creeping in. "I was just thinking about how I _didn't_. He ended up-" He let out a small breathy laugh as he recalled the party Tweek had 'come to'. "He actually pulled me out of a party by my ear."

"What?!" Chef then bursted out laughing, his hand slamming down on the counter as he imagined this tutor. Knowing that the guy must have been small because of the weird soft spot Craig had for small things. Assuming even further, if this guy was any bigger he would have been pummeled. Almost choking on his laugh as he pictured Craig being pulled out by this small beast of a man. "Oh my god! You have to bring him down here sometime!"

Craig gave an unamused face at the roar of laughter coming from Chef, but answered the man. "No, he'd hate it here." 

Chef gave an accusatory glare. "Why not? What's wrong with my bar?"

"Nothing, Chef." Craig gave another glance to the man who was originally staring at him, he was still glaring. "He just likes nice places without a high number of people who exclusively stand in corners." 

Chef looked over at the man who was eyeing Craig, looking away before the man caught him. "That's not fair. These corner guys just started popping up once you stopped coming to the bar." 

"Think I was acting as an emblematic bouncer?" Craig said with a side-eye to the large and buff looking man who had just walked into the entrance of this fine establishment. 

"Jesus. You have been going to school." Chef said at the word choice. 

Craig gave a small pointed look to the bartender. "What? He has me do 'Word of the Day'."

"Man, you're whipped."

Craig was suddenly hit on his back. Something impacting against him as someone passed by, it wasn't an accident. It was clear that whoever had just went passed Craig wanted to inflict some amount of annoyance or pain against him. He turned around to see the shady character walking past, their elbow having purposefully been out to bang against Craig's back. He stood from the stool he was sitting on and turned towards the man.

"Hey!"

The man turned around with a mean glare. He was rough to look at. The greasy hair spilling from his scalp and unfilled stubble splotching over the lower-half of his face, the appearance making Craig's lip curl. He was lanky and definitely not a problem for Craig to take. His only problem was the strange moisture to his clothes and how they looked oddly damped from an unknown substance. Craig didn't like the idea of having to punch a gross guy and have his hands be covered with whatever was on him.

"Something wrong here?" Craig asked, taking a step towards the man. Keeping his eyes hooded and stance tall with authority. 

The man crossed his arms. "No, I was just leaving." He gave a dismissive wave of the hand to Craig. "Now sit down and turn yourself around." 

Craig stayed still and only continued to stare down the other man with a sharp glare, not daring to look away from the bastard for a second. The opposing male seemed to have the same feeling about their eye contact as he glared back at Craig. 

Realizing Craig wasn't moving, the man took it upon himself to take a step towards the teen and give him a push on the chest with one hand. "I _said_ sit down and turn around."

Craig looked at where he had just been touched and raised an angered brow, not fully believing this man had just put his hands on him. Not taking into account the strength and size difference in this situation and how this man was about to get his shit beat. 

Craig drew his fist back and let it fully strikes the man's face in front of him with the deafening sound of skin impacting skin. The sound echoing in the space and causing everyone within the small bar to turn towards the scene. The man was thrown down with the punch, the weight being too much to handle on the face and making him collapse to the ground. His nose was dripping and crooked looking, although the intention wasn't to be so cruel, Craig didn't feel bad for the man who had just been giving orders to him. Also karma gave him plenty in return with the boney face he had hit being a bit too hard for his knuckle and probably leaving a mark. 

The man looked up cupping his nose, his hand catching everything coming from his nose like gods children catching their weekly wine with their hands. Craig catching the small smirk the man had as he said. "Get him boys." 

That's when Craig noticed that not only were there shady characters in every corner that seemed to know this man, but there were also shady characters in every other booth at the bar that seemed to know this man. Each one of this man's 'friends' stood up and seemed to be pretty angry with Craig. And that's also when he realized that he was amount to be royally fucked.

Craig noticed the large man who had just come into the shop start to charge after him, but gave him a quick kick to the groin and leapt over him. Going onward to escape out the doors with a small hateful posse building behind him, each one of the loyal fans giving a call of discouragement and inauspiciousness. Barely making it away from the crowd his both of his shoes as the fore-mentioned ball-kicked man tried to grab after his legs to stop him from fleeing. 

He bolted down the middle of the street, gutting open the quiet pavement with the ambitious pounding of the feet. Each long, quick stride doing their best to get their owner as far away from the angry mob behind him as fast as possible. Giving every muscle in Craig's legs an actual run for their money as they bounded off with explosive steps. 

Once Craig was greeted with the intersection of Cleveland and Harrison Street, he chose Cleveland. Just barely coming to a stop before bouncing on his feet to turn to the left and go off towards his chosen path. Something about the street seeming familiar, but he was unsure of what. Maybe somewhere he has hidden before and somewhere he can hopefully hide again. 

"Get your ass over here, Boy!" A man from the huddle of others called. 

"Your dead when we get you!" A different man hollered as he ran. 

Craig just kept running down the street, only taking a moment with his thoughts to think about the small gang that has taken over Skeeter's while he was away. Slightly wondering why Chef didn't try to inform him about the problem or think to try and get rid of the problem either. While sprinting down the street he heard each cause and effect of his late night jog, each motion sensor light blinking on and each dog in their home barking out in protest to the people who dare run in front of their house. These dogs alerting awake the owners and causing the homes to light up with life in different rooms of the home. With all of the sudden light he started to notice these houses, they were familiar. Taking note of the same base that all of the homes had, but the minor differences between them. 

Suddenly he came across a strikingly familiar house that was boring and plain despite its grandness. The only difference from when he saw it last time was all the light were out, but now there was a single window that was emitting a soft glow. The window was open and green almost see-through curtains were blowing out in their own means of calling Craig over. Trying to save him from the impending doom that was currently running behind him. 

Taking the curtains calls, Craig did another sharp turn towards the house, keeping an eye on the good amount of distance he had between himself and the guys behind him. Making sure he wasn't about to have his tutor's house wrecked and torn up in efforts of looking for him. 

Craig saw the drain pipe running up the side of the house and decided it was the best way to get into the room as he started to climb. The pipe punished Craig as he tried to trek up it, every few seconds making him slip and almost fall from the position he was at. Finally making it to the landing of the roof with seconds to spare, jumping into the open room with a quick pounce and roll onto the plush carpeted floor. 

He laid back on the floor with a breath of relief. 

He had made it safely, _kinda_ , out of the world and into Tweek's home. The blonde didn't seem to be in the room and honestly that was probably for the best. He really just hoped that the rest of this escape mission would go smoothly, the best case scenario being Tweek not coming back into his room until the thugs are gone and Craig can slip out before Tweek knows he's there. Although, that might be for a while. The people who were chasing him had taken to staying in this vicinity because Craig 'can't run that fast' and 'he must be hiding'. 

Craig sat up from the floor he had been laying on, looking at the wall full of picture of different landmarks, shops, friends and milestones in Tweek's life. The reading comprehension certificate that Craig had heard about being amongst the pictures. Along with different papers that had been revised, but were taped on the wall in front of the white desk. He stood up, careful to avoid being seen out the window, and walked over to the corner that was clustered different decorations and ornaments on the wall in front of the two desks that had been connected at the corner of the room. 

A small smile came to his face at he saw a picture of a small Tweek holding, what looked like, a coffee thermos. The idea of a child having coffee seeming preposterous, but somehow cute at the same time. The big and young eyes holding rather large eye bags, like they weren't under the eyes of a child, but instead of an old accountant that had worked one too many hours. 

Craig then turned his head to the shelf in the room that held different plants, books and other knick-knacks. A large potted plant spilling over its home and down onto the shelves below it like a green version of Rapunzel. A large T being used as a weight to keep the books standing upright and not fall off the floating shelf. Then his eyes caught a small plush rabbit, It had blue fur and a distinct yellow fluff ball of a nose. The little bright nose reminding Craig of Tweek's hair in a way.

He gave a turn towards the large bed that was covered with sweet green sheets and duvet covers, the pillows atop the bed seeming to have nothing to do with one another. One being fluffy, one being a plain white, one having a little message of being kind to the plant on it, one being in the shape of a corgi. Despite the hectic energy it gave off, it was Tweek. 

The room was filled with warmth that completely screamed and radiated Tweek's care and liveliness. Each part seeming to be something that was either apart of Tweek's collections of life or something that was alive, such as the plants. It was nothing like how the outside of the house made the home see, it was warm and lived in in this room. Like this room was the family room where people communed and inhabited most instead of it just being Tweek's room. 

A turning of the door knob knocked Craig out of his ogling and into panic mode once again. Rushing over to the door and standing next to it, wanting a chance to get his own grasp on the situation before Tweek flipped out because of it. Holding his breath as the door opened and Tweek walked in, his hair was wet and his torso down was covered with a fluffy towel. Craig now knowing that because of the current dressing he was in, that this situation was about to be much worse. 

Craig snuck behind Tweek and covered his mouth. Bringing the blonde's back against the front of his body, his head of wet hair dampening the chest of Craig's sweatshirt. Holding an arm around Tweek's middle and arms. Not expecting the weird approach he was taking, but thinking that this was the best course of action... of course... it probably wasn't. 

Tweek started to freak out and thrash around in Craig's arms, muffled yells going into the taller male's hand. Tweek kicking out and knocking over something on his nightstand. 

"Tweek, calm down it's just me." Craig whisper yelled frantically, the shouts from outside seeming to rise again because of the crash from within the room. 

Tweek's head turned to the side to look at the captor holding him and his scared eyes turned to angry ones. The eyes becoming nothing but compressed slits of unbridled rage for Craig. The one good thing being he stopped thrashing around. His lips pursing against the hand over his mouth before saying out muffled angry words. "But ba buck bis brong bith bo?!"

"You're going to have to wait a second to yell at me." Craig hushed, tightening his hold around Tweek's middle and maneuvering them from their position, across the window to where Tweek's desk stood. Out of sight from people outside.

Tweek gave a displeased huff and continued to speak into the hand. "Bou bar bo bed baber bis-" Then shouts from outside the open window made Tweek stop his upset words that weren't really words. 

"We know you're out here somewhere shitface!"

"We're gonna get you!"

Tweek turned his head to the side to look at Craig, his eyebrows furrowing deeper for second before going back up, questioning what was going on.

"Listen, I'll tell you everything in a minute, they just have to leave first." Craig said quietly to Tweek. 

Tweek shook his head in its hold, aggression fully apparent with the hurried shake. "Bo bway! Bell be bow!" 

"I swear just a minute. Shush!" Craig said as he heard the noises outside grow a bit louder. 

Tweek stayed still for a second before his tongue came out to try and get Craig's hand off, even though he knew better than to lick Craig's hand especially since he did push ups on the school floor today to show how good he is at push ups, but Tweek needed answers. And he needed Craig's hands off his face that he just washed and used his favorite expensive moisturizer on. The only problem was, licking seemed to do nothing. 

"Stop licking me." Craig yell whispered, a chill going up his spine at the feeling of Tweek wetting his palm. "For all you know, it could be turning me on." 

Tweek gave him a deadly glare that was read clearly to Craig.

" _It might_." Craig threatened back.

Tweek gave an exasperated huff and put his tongue back in his mouth. Giving up for the time being on the venture of trying to get out of Craig's grasps, not wanting to evoke any sort of special feelings while in this predicament. 

They stood in their spots with a lot less awkwardness that one might of thought, the only discomfort was from Tweek's hair that had created a wet spot on the chest of Craig's sweatshirt. It was something that was cold and starting to itch slightly in that weird way that wet clothes start to itch. It was just more karma of the night for Craig. Yet having a wet patch on him didn't seem like equal karma for climbing through Tweek's window. 

Poor Tweek just stood their waiting patiently for the threat outside his window to leave so he could completely destroy Craig. 

At first to keep himself 'busy' he listened to how crazy erratic Craig's heart rate was, the steady pounding against his head making him smile. The fact that Craig wasn't in the slightest bit calm, calming him. Even weirder was how nice it was to feel and listen to Craig's heart slow down. After it was seemingly gone and calm Tweek took to watching the water that was still dripping from his hair. They were soaking into his carpet and leaving little dark spots where they fell. Just as his own little payback, Tweek let his head lay back against Craig further. The cold from Tweek's hair, forcing out an annoyed groan from the taller male. 

Craig's eyes flicked over towards the window where things have seemed to have gone quiet, finally letting his hands fall from Tweek; the heavy and tired arms falling to his side with a dignified sighed. "You're free." Tweek stepped away then turned towards Craig, his brows furrowing again and mouth pouting. 

Craig wanted to say something, but he found himself suddenly stuck. His eyes glued to the blonde's upper body that wasn't being covered by his towel. Water droplets were sliding down Tweek's neck at a snail's pace and pooling down into the steady pools in his collarbones. Those little bodies of water leading off to a steep waterfalls near the normally covered shoulders. 

_Damn, those are some nice shoulders._

Craig shook his head at himself. Has he really gone that long without sex. He needs to get himself laid. 

"So... did you... shower?"

Tweek's anger that had slightly dissipated returned all over again. "Are you seriously being casual right now?"

"Uh... yeah." Craig winced at himself, he was feeling pretty confident about the situation until he saw Tweek's shoulders. 

Tweek rolled his eyes and tightened his towel. "Ugh! Craig! Every time I think you're normal and someone I could talk to you go and do something crazy like this!" He accentuated his word with a small, painless hit to Craig's chest. "Do you know how scared I was when you just grabbed me?!"

"I'm sorry, Tweek I jus-"

"No! You don't just get to say sorry. You tell me what happened!" Tweek then turned Craig away from him to face the wall while he went to his closet. "Stay looking at the wall, I'm getting dressed."

Craig looked at the still open and completely enterable window. "But-"

"No buts! Stay looking at the wall!" Tweek said as he started to fish through his closet for a comfy night shirt. Craig shook his head, keeping his head turn away from Tweek, but moving towards the window to close it and draw the curtains for that extra privacy Tweek didn't seem to care about. "Now tell me what happened that made you think it was okay to break into my house!"

Craig scoffed as he looked out the window, he could still perfectly see through it with the sheer curtains. "I did not break into your house. I entered it without force and without the intent of burglary." 

" _Oh my god_." Tweek muttered in annoyance, pulling an oversized distressed t-shirt over his head. Unsure whether to be angrier or somewhat amused by the statement. "The fact you know the definition of breaking and entering and you just used it to get yourself out of trouble." 

Craig gave a small smile, tilting his head back to let his words further carry. "Did you say I got myself out of trouble?"

"Excuse me, _tried_ to get yourself out of trouble." Tweek then pulled on a pair of boxers, taking them as pajama shorts for the night. He turned to Craig and crossed his arms, hoping that just his glare would be enough to make the male look at him. "You're still in plenty. And you can turn around now."

Craig turned to Tweek with a half-frown. "How much is plenty?"

" _Plenty_." Tweek grabbed his towel that he had let drop to the floor to start drying his hair, walking to sit on his bed while scrunching tufts of his mane with a polyester covered hand. "Now I mean it, what happened?"

Craig sighed and sat next to Tweek on the bed. "Well I went to see a friend after I finished my homework." 

Tweek gave him a glare. 

"Okay... I didn't finish, but I was doing homework and thought I should take a break." Craig finally huffed out. "So I'm at out hangout place and I'm talking to him and this guy is glaring at me the whole time." 

Tweek's mouth pouted off to the side. "I can already tell where this is going?"

"Just wait." Craig said super excitedly. "So the guy gets up to leave and he purposefully bumps into me and hits me with his elbow. So I confront him on it and he pushes me." Tweek raises a single eyebrow at that. "I didn't even say anything provoking either and he just pushed me. So of course my next option is to punch him." 

Tweek rolls his eyes. "Of course."

"What I didn't know is this guy apparently knew everyone and they all started chasing after me and suddenly I was in your neighborhood." Craig then looked towards the window. "Thus the scene of the crime. I saw your window was open and your lights were on so... I came in to hide."

Tweek shook his head to show to Craig that he was disappointed, but in all honesty he felt relieved. Craig could have been badly hurt and by the sounds of the people outside, maybe even worse. He was beyond glad Craig didn't have enough sense to think twice about crawling in through his window and technically break in. 

But he would never tell Craig that. 

"You shouldn't have _barged_ in, but... I get it." Tweek then gave a breath, looking at Craig with an unsure stare. "So just text first... I was scared for a minutes there." 

Craig frowned and nodded. "I will and Tweek, I'm really sorry." He shook his head at himself. "I just didn't want it to end up you getting your house raided by them or you getting hurt because I punched a guy." 

Tweek didn't want to, but the words made him smile. They also shouldn't matter, they so shouldn't, they shouldn't mean a single thing to Tweek, but the little feeling inside his stomach made him give in. That little feeling down deep inside of Tweek's stomach crawled its way up to his face making him smile and making him think that those words matter. "Thanks."

He looked up at Craig, trying to be brave and prove that little feeling in his stomach wrong. Prove he could look at Craig right now and be absolutely fine with him and the way he was making Tweek feel. Yet when he looked he quickly realized that he shouldn't have been brave and in fact there is nothing wrong with not being brave. Especially when you go to look at someone and you see that they are already looking at you. Looking at you with eyes that you've seen plenty of times before, but this time seem different. Like something small has changed, something insignificant and undistinguishable, but _something._

Tweek felt a shiver travel up his spine and looked away, his face flustering in a way he hasn't felt before. "Uh... think it's clear to go?"

"Oh." Craig look a glance out the window and shrugged. "I guess." He stood up, looking down at Tweek with a smile. "I'll get going now." 

Tweek stood up with him. "I can walk you out." 

"No, it's fine." Craig opened the window with one hand while they other gave a small salute. "I'll go out the way I came."

Tweek furrowed his brows upwards. "Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, no big deal." Craig then stuck one leg out the window and sat himself in the middle of outside and inside. His voice lowering to above a whisper and hand coming up near his face to wave his fingers farewell. "Goodnight, Tweek." 

Tweek gave a smile and said at the same volume. "Goodnight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update is later than usual for the week, school just decided it wanted to see what my sad face looks like. So if this chapter is a little ( _very_ ) unedited, blame school. 
> 
> Also side note, after some drawing and deliberation I think I might change Craig's eyes to green. 
> 
> '3'


	14. Empty Spaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for yet another late update, but school be like that I guess. 
> 
> PS. I don't enjoy titling things.

"So what does this simplify to?"

Craig scratched his head for a second, his eyes squinting hard as he looked at the strange math question that decided to involve logs. "It simplifies to...48?"

"Yep." Tweek chirped back. Drawing a little smiley face next to the correct answer, the face's tongue sticking out the corner of its mouth. He then looked at the next problem and saw it might be more challenging than the last. "Wanna try this one on your own?"

Craig saw the long question that was made purely of letters and parentheses and gave a quick. "Nope."

Tweek let out a small laugh. "Okay, so let's start with-"

A ringing cut off Tweek.

He turned his head from the worksheet to look in his bag at his phone. It's Token. He frowned after seeing who it was. Not that Token calling him is something to frown over, but it just didn't make sense for him to call him when he knew he was with Craig. It must have been important that he would be interrupting, and then again Token was seeming to have a dwindling amount of respect for Tweek's Craig time.

"Sorry, it's Token." Tweek said to Craig, standing up to take the call. "I won't take more than a minute."

Craig furrowed a brow at the sudden lack of attention of him and his homework, but didn't complain. He only crossed his arms and watched Tweek as he spoke on the phone. He took off his hat to better hear whatever might be said loud enough from the tiny speaker on the phone.

"Hey Token, you know I'm with Craig right now, right?" Tweek said into the phone. Craig giving a small smirk to himself as he thought about the annoyed bordering on disturbed face that Token would give when he was brought up.

Craig caught little snippets of what Token was saying, but nothing to make a whole idea that he could guess upon.

"Oh shoot." Tweek bit on his bottom lip as he continued to listen to Token, his brows furrowing in distress as more words were said through the phone. "Ugh... Let's talk more after my session. Talk to you later." Tweek hung up and covered his mouth with his hand and let out a frustrated groan. The sound not being muffled in the way Tweek had hoped it would be.

Craig raised a brow. "Everything good?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Tweek sighed out, sitting back down with Craig as he let his phone fall into his satchel. "He just called to tell me that Wendy chose a carwash as the fundraiser for my prom idea."

Craig nodded, unsure of how that decision affects Tweek or prom. "And?"

"Carwashes bring in the least money. No one wants to see the student council awkwardly sponge down a car. It's weird." Tweek put his head in his hands. "Even with the low cost idea I gave, we will still be under budgeted."

Craig furrowed his brows, a stark realization happening in his mind. "Token thought that couldn't wait til _after_ our session?"

"I guess not." Tweek shrugged.

Craig crossed his arms to lean back against his chair. "He's kind of a dick."

"Excuse me?" Tweek's brows furrowed, offense being taken for his absent friend.

Craig turned his head to look at the miffed blonde. "He told you something that would upset you while you were doing something important. I'm sure he knew that would screw you up for the rest of the session." He then checked off an invisible box in the air. "Dick move."

Tweek's mouth opened to reject the claim and defend his friend, but his voice didn't come out. After another moment of an open mouth he closed it, halted by the words. He took a pouting minute before licking his lips and opening his mouth back up, saying pointedly. "He's not a dick."

" _Oh my god_." Craig snorted, the laugh sending him forward slightly in his seat, looking back at Tweek with a smile and a gentle nod. "You're precious"

"What?" Tweek turned his body fully in his chair to look at Craig, giving him a full view of his slightly ticked face that consisted of a pout and downturned brows. "He isn't!"

Craig laughed again. "Sure, I believe you. He's the worlds _biggest_ angel."

Tweek fumed and hit at Craig's arm. "Obviously no one is, but he isn't an asshole."

"How so?" Craig asked with a smug smirk.

Tweek then raised his head, his nose poking up as he began the list. "Well, he is apart of The Students with Earth Initiative."

" _Aw_ , how cute! He takes pictures of himself with a tree?" Craig asked sarcastically.

Tweek gave a glare. "No, he helps the school find better ways to cut back on waste and carbon emissions."

"Hmm." Craig hummed thoughtfully before saying. "So he does nothing? Because that's what the school does for the environment."

Tweek huffed. " _No_. He helped make it mandatory for teachers to print double-sided so there would be less paper-waste."

"Wow, I'm so glad." Craig smiled cheerfully.

Tweek glowered for a moment before he perked up in his seat. His butt wiggling like an excited dog's as he tried to get his counter-point out. "He's also on Shoes Around The World. They give away old shoes to underprivileged youths."

"Ah yes." Craig sighed out. "I'm sure Tiny Tim is walking around in Token's old Gucci loafers."

Tweek snorted at the joke, trying his best to keep in his amusement. "That's not funny." The statement not convincing Craig as Tweek held back his infamous, bitten lip smiles. Small giggles getting through the barriers of lip and teeth. After seeming to regain his composure, Tweek straightened his posture to its usual poise and said. "Did you know 300 million kids around the world are without shoes?"

"No, I didn't." Craig shook his head with his answer, giving a moment of serious thought to the sad fact. Then he looked at Tweek with a single raised eyebrow. "But wanna know who does have shoes?"

Tweek bit his lip, shaking his head in a pleading way. "Don't say it."

"Tiny Tim."

Tweek started to laugh again, the mediocre joke hitting somewhere deep in his gut as he threw his head back to laugh. Craig even letting his sarcastic smile slip to laugh with Tweek. Their shoulders falling together in a mutual leaning, Tweek's head bumping into Craig's as they collided. Both of them having the strange sensation to savor the moment of contact, relaxing against each other as their giggles faded away. Tweek's head gently relaxing into Craig's shoulder and Craig's jaw just barely grazing the fluff ball of hair below it.

"I hate you." Tweek sighed out.

Craig smiled. "Loyal as ever, Babe."

Tweek elbowed at Craig's side, lifting his head with a happy scowl. He looked at Craig and shook his head at the fellow teen. Completely amused and annoyed by his antics. Wondering further about the weird feeling in his stomach as he stared back at Craig. Maybe he should eat less dairy.

"Oh!" Tweek said suddenly interrupting the silence they were having. "He is also apart of fretted friends. He teaches kids to play the ukulele for free." He then gave a dignified smirk.

Craig scoffed, feeling disappointed by the subject return. "Yeah, I'm real impressed. He can play a mini-guitar."

"I'd like to see you try." Tweek said with the new smugness, the battle's victory being heavy in his words.

"Pfft, _please_. It only has like three strings." Craig said with another dismissal of the third 'helping-hands' group that Token has shoved himself into.

"Four, actually." Tweek said, pulling the forgotten homework back in front of them. "Four different strings and plenty of chords." He picked up Craig's pencil and forced it back into his hand. "He can play literally any song. One time he played me the whole Twilight soundtrack."

Craig frowned as Tweek went on to explain all the different songs that Token had played for him. He wouldn't say Tweek was swooning over Token, but the thought that he is close to it because of the tiny instrument bothered him. It was a basic looking instrument and a just as basic dude. No reason to suddenly act like they were a music prodigy to throw your shirt at.

He was sure he could do the same thing that Token did easily.

Craig started to work on his math again, trying to tune out the new topic of Tweek being serenaded by Token. Thinking to himself about the small stringed instrument and its four strings and chords, _whatever the fuck those are_. "How hard could it be?" He mumbled to himself as he started to simplify yet another log.

"I'm marrying... Johnathan."

Tweek gave a gasp. "What! Johnathan hates you!" He grabbed the remote to fast-forward through the next ten minutes of what was going to be Blake crying because he wasn't picked as Jayla's fake husband. He kicked the blanket he had laid over himself off and onto the ground, feeling too bothered by the ending of the show to be cozy.

He sat up on his couch with a few flatus sounding noises being emitted from the pristine leather. Pulling his legs in from the ottoman where his feet were napping, without the blanket to protect his legs the air forced goosebumps out from underneath his skin. Thinking he could get himself a pair of sweats to cover his legs, but also thinking about the fact that if he left and came back his spot would be cold. He spent good time warming that spot, he's not leaving it. He raised his sweater to fit his knees underneath. Taking refuge from the cold there, even though a blanket was still within arms reach.

His phone pinged as he started watching Abby Lee Miller yell at seven year olds. Tweek raised an eyebrow at the sender. It was Craig, but it was also a Sunday. He would text for help sometimes, but never on a Sunday. He must be really desperate if he's trying to ask for help on the one day they don't see each other. Tweek opened the message and read.

Craig: _Hey, can't work at home right now. Can I work at yours?_

Tweek frowned. Craig wasn't exactly the type to suddenly reach out for help like this, but maybe it was dire for him in the moment to get out. Plus some company wouldn't hurt. He hadn't had people over in a long time and would love a chance to use his melon baller he got for Christmas last year.

Tweek: _Sure_

Craig knocked on the door hesitantly. He didn't want the door to open up to Tweak's parents and have to talk to them. He never did well with parents when he had friends because everyone thought he caused havoc. Plus he never did well with parents in the community because he had left a string of broken hearts with their daughters. He definitely wasn't feeling up to more bad interactions today, he just wanted to have a calm moment to himself and do what was left of his homework.

Tweek answered the door with an excited smile, but was a little breathless as he answered the door. It was like he had sprinted to it as soon as he heard the knock. He was accompanied by a large bowl of balled fruit in hand and a few red and orange stains splattered over the front of his sweater. "Hey!"

"Uh... Hey." Craig said back, still fixated on the bowl of circular fruit. "Whatcha got there?"

"Oh!" Tweek then presented the bowl forward with the same ecstatic smile. "I used my melon baller! I barely get the chance to use it because I rarely have company, but since you're over I thought it would be good!"

Craig looked at the red and orange balls and smiled. "Didn't know you were so enthusiastic about melon ballers."

Tweek grabbed onto the front of Craig's sweatshirt and pulled him in, desperate to just have him come in and indulge in the different things he had to show. "I also have an apple peeler that I haven't tried before!"

"You're pretty fruity today." Craig chuckled out as Tweek dragged him through the doors and into the entryway.

Tweek snorted. "Is that a gay joke?" But he didn't stay for the answer as he ran off to where the kitchen was, suddenly inspired by another device that the kitchen must have held. "Oh! I have a Crockpot that I never use because it always makes too much! But with you here I could make us something!"

Craig was about to answer back to Tweek and tell him he was going a bit overboard with the snack ideas, but a chill ran up his spine stopped him.

He felt cold.

Not physically cold, but a deep coldness that came from emptiness and lonely hours. He glanced up at the high ceiling in the entryway and noticed that the empty house feeling he felt from outside had stayed with him. Even though he could see all the furniture inside the house and hear that Tweek was definitely in the kitchen doing something, the home still felt like it hadn't been lived in. It was like the home was haunted with the memories that have never happened.

It made Craig wonder further about the currently unseen parents of Tweek.

Craig walked into the kitchen to see Tweek pulling out different cheeses and hot sauces. A black pot sitting in the middle of the mess of dairy and spice. The small blonde seeming to drown and be engulfed within the grand kitchen. The tall cabinets being outrageous to scale, even for Craig and his tall stature. The dark browns and blacks throughout the house making it seem unwelcoming.

"Now what are you doing?" Craig asked leaning on the kitchen island next to the pile of cheeses that had accumulated.

Tweek plugged in the black pot, that Craig only now drew the connection to being a crock pot. "I'm gonna make buffalo chicken dip... but with no chicken."

"So you're going to make buffalo dip?" Craig asked with a single brow raised. Watching with an amused smile as Tweek dumped cheese into the pot and created a small, slowly melting, mountain of cheese.

Tweek nodded before he pulled a frown, thinking silently for a second before perking up again. "Actually I think I have chicken in the freezer. Can you check? It's the bottom drawer."

Craig thought it was a bit too late to tell Tweek that he was fine just eating his fruit balls, but he seemed so happy to be making something for someone else. He didn't want to ruin Tweek's moment with his kitchen utensils so he walked towards the fridge. He pulled out the bottom drawer to see a strange hoard of 'made for one' frozen meals. It wasn't just a couple of them, the whole freezer seemed stocked with them. Different varieties for each day of the week, different ways to eat alone. The least important fact to him in the moment of looking into the freezer being, there was no chicken.

Craig furrowed a brow, thinking about the current situation that has been presented to him. Empty house, Tweek overly excited to be entertaining a guest, frozen meals and still no sight of the parents.

"Hey, Tweek?"

Tweek turned towards him with a smile, stirring the pot of melted cheese with a large wooden spoon. "Hm?"

"Do you live here-" Craig took the two steps to the trash can and lifted the lid, catching a lot more 'designed for one' meal packages within the can. Then his eyes flicking to where the sink was, seeing a single plate in it and one set of silverware with it. "-alone?"

Tweek tilted his head with a frown. "No, my parents live here too." He gave a small laugh. "Like I could pay for a house."

Craig walked back over to the kitchen island, staring at the pot of cheese with a frown. Standing next to Tweek as he swayed his head back and forth with a happy little hum. "Are they home?"

"Oh, no. They're in... _hm_." Tweek stopped stirring and looked into the distance, muttering different countries and states like they were numbers. Seeming to pick out the correct one as he said. "I think they're in Portugal right now."

Craig looked at Tweek with a tilt of the head. "When were they here last?"

"I think they were in South Park a week or two ago... but I haven't actually seen them in about a month." Tweek's little smile faltered a bit, the happy cook facade dropping and his eyes seeming more sad as they stared at the dairy filled concoction. "They travel a lot for work."

Craig, if he was a weaker man, would have grabbed Tweek in that moment and given him the hug of his life. He didn't like the fact he was suddenly becoming acquainted with what Tweek looked like when he was sad. The usually fiery green-blue eyes were dulled, no flame, no passion. They were completely deflated. Craig hated seeing them like that.

Then in a flash Tweek smiled and turned himself towards Craig with a spoonful of cheese, the sadness either having left or been hidden away. "Wanna taste test?"

"Anyways the whole thing is complete absurd." Token said as he unlocked the room where he hosted his ukulele lessons.

Tweek nodded along with him. "I still say we should host a revote when I'm not gone from the meeting."

"It's what happens when you spend all your time with Craig." Token muttered as he set his things down in the room, starting to prepare for today's lesson.

Tweek furrowed a single brow. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Token said out then walked towards the wall where all of the ukuleles hung on straps against the wall. He eyes scanned the wall and he was counting to make sure all ten were there when his eyes stopped on the hole on the wall. "Tweek!"

Tweek who was pretty sure he heard Token correctly the first time gave a sharp. "What?"

"The ninth ukulele! It's not here!" Token shouted, his eyes were blown wide and mouth hung open in shock. "I-It's gone!"

Tweek walked to look at the wall and did in fact see that the ukulele had been taken off the wall, his sympathy not being as apparent as usual, but his curiosity still high. "Where do you think it is?"

"I don't know!" Token started to search up and down the room, opening every closet and pulling out the music books that sat within them. Looking below the chairs, hoping one of the kids had just forgotten to put their ukulele away correctly. "Someone must have stolen it!"

Tweek furrowed a brow looking around the room. "Who would steal a ukule-" His eyes the caught the door knob from the outside, the door had swung in the room and left the knob looking at him. Familiar scratchings near the entrance of the key made Tweek raise an eyebrow and trail off. In his own disbelief he walked towards the door knob and traced his fingers around the marks near the hole. Somewhat surprised that Token didn't notice them when he had unlocked the door, but Token usually didn't have to look while he did it.

"What? What is it? Did you find something?" Token questioned.

Tweek quickly turned toward Token and hid the door knob with his body, pressing into the door to keep it from view. "Nope! Nothing, but I think I'm going to head to lunch now."

"Oh okay." Token gave a slump of the shoulders, he had lost a ukulele and his crush. "Keep your eye out for any suspicious people."

Tweek gave a thumbs up as he walked out the room. "I will."

"Everything make sense so far?" Tweek asked as he watched Craig lay out the historical context of World War One.

Craig nodded. "Yeah, seems clear so far."

Tweek let himself take a step back from his student and watch as he plotted different events in chronological order. Examining him and his bag closely. The bag didn't seem to have anything oblong shaped in it nor did he seem to have anything oblong shaped with him.

Craig himself seemed more tired than usual, he had droopy eyes and his speech was a little slow, but that could have been from yesterday when he had Craig over. He made him stay for dinner, and then he made him stay for dessert, then he made him stay for second dessert. All of which were things he decided to quickly make in the kitchen and accidentally force Craig into eating. Although Craig did compliment him on his blowtorch skills and the 'second dessert' s'mores Tweek had made him.

"Did I keep you up?" Tweek asked, putting his head on his palm as he looked at Craig.

Craig looked up with the same sleepy looking eyes. "Huh...? Oh. No, I was still finishing some stuff up when I got home."

"Really?" Tweek tilted his head to the side, his eyes sharpening slightly. "I thought you said we finished everything last night."

Craig's mouth opened to speak, but hung for a moment. Eventually stuttering out the obvious excuse. "I meant _other_ stuff... non-school stuff."

The corner of Tweek's mouth twitched up. "Like what?"

"Nothing important." Craig said then put his head back down into the different dates in front of him, detaching himself from the conversation. 

_You've got to be kidding me._

Craig and Tweek usually would pack up at the same pace and walk out of the room together. They would walk as long as they could with each other to their cars without separating, only because they enjoyed the company on the walk.

So today was weird. Craig was packing up extremely slow, picking his things up piece by piece. He was making sure everything went in their correct spots instead of his usual, pile together then dump in bag, method. Even with the slowed down version of Tweek's packing, Craig outmatched him in the competition for leisureliness.

Tweek gave up on trying to pack with him and thought of a different idea.

He zipped up his pencil case and put it in his bag with a quick plop, looking up at Craig after he did. "Well, I'm off."

Craig smiled and gave a wave. "See you tomorrow." Tweek noted the action as it being the most energetic thing he had done the whole session, a new life being breathed into him as he said the words.

Tweek walked out the door, acting how he normally would when leaving. The only difference being, instead of walking down the hallway to leave he pressed himself against the wall. Putting his ear near the door, but careful to not be seen through the opaque screen of glass that was in the doors window. He held his breath, not wanting to make any noise to startle the boy who still has not left the student room.

Then Tweek heard some movement that didn't match up with the rest of the sounds that had just been coming from the room. He moved his ear close to the door to try and hear what was happening now.

A soft strum sounded into the room. It was messy and the different strings within it sounded like they had just woken up, but despite the different morning voices, the strum came out as a gentle sound just because of the nature of the instrument. The noise being the equivalent of a soft hum from a person with strep throat.

Tweek reached for the door knob. Turning it as slow as possible, but only when the instrument was playing so he wouldn't alert Craig. His wrist starting to hurt as it stayed suspended in air with so much tension. He heard the small sound of the door un-clicking that last piece of metal as the instrument sang with out of tune vocal cords.

Finally the door was open and Tweek could just as slowly and quietly peek his head into the room. His eyes widening as he caught sight of Craig's back, he was hunched over something while his phone played a video. The phone being propped up with a couple books and the screen showing a man with a ukulele in hand.

Tweek smiled to himself. His hunch was right, Craig had most definitely been the ukulele thief.

Tweek stopped the gloating going on in his mind as the video started to show the man playing a song. He wasn't going too fast, but Craig seemed to think otherwise as his hands moved awkwardly from each different chord. The large hands and longer fingers not mixing and working well with the small instrument. His strums were being muted from his unpracticed hand laying over the strings, but his hand also moving too slow to create the synchronous sound of the four different strings being played at once. Craig was too focused on the different chords to try and perfect anything else.

Tweek took a couple steps forward, standing over Craig and seeing the dark brown ukulele in his arms. Craig tilted his head back to give a frustrated groan, his head coming an inch from colliding with Tweek's front. His eyebrows were scrunched together in annoyance with the small stringed thing and eyes closed with a chance at finding a calm space. Tweek looked down at the upside down and upset face with a smile.

Craig's eyes opened lazily, not fully processing Tweek and how he was standing above him until a second after he open his eyes. The shock of seeing his tutor making his body jolt and the ukulele fly from his hands and into the air. Tweek caught the instrument by the neck with an amused smile and a single raised brow.

"Jesus, Tweek!" Craig shouted, still surprised by the blonde. Leaning forward again to rub his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger, squeezing his nose bridge as he said. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Tweek face fell slightly as he put the ukulele on the table, grabbing himself a chair so he could scold Craig. He liked to sit when he scolded Craig. "I should be asking you the same thing." Tweek let himself fall into his seat next to Craig, giving a look to the male as he motioned to the mini-guitar. "What is this?"

"A... ukulele." Craig said from his seat, giving a small nod towards the instrument as he finally said it.

Tweek crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the male next to him. "Really?"

"Alright." Craig looked at the instrument and sighed. "I'm practicing how to play."

Tweek then motioned his hand in a circular motion. "And...?"

"And... I stole it from Romeo's helping hands room." Craig said out, his voice going up with shame as he finished the sentence, the usually deep voice tilting into a higher tone. His shoulders hunching slightly and his head standing a bit lower.

Tweek looked at the video that had paused itself and the tossed aside instrument. He picked it up and held it in front of himself silently. It was an odd predicament for a couple reasons, but the Tweek's main one being, Craig had chosen the smallest ukulele out of the whole selection on the wall. It was obvious when he was holding- _cradling_ -the instrument that it was too small for his long appendages.

As much as he should be reprimanding Craig for stealing the instrument, he thought of a better way to 'punish' him.

"So you're learning to play this?" Tweek finally said with a smile.

Craig looked at the surprisingly happy smile on Tweek's face and nodded, unsure if this was one of those misplaced smiles Tweek does when he's especially angry with Craig. "Yeah, I started Saturday."

"So you've been doing this for a couple days?" Tweek said, turning his head from the instrument to Craig with the same smile.

Craig nodded again. "Pretty much."

Tweek then put the instrument back in front of Craig, almost placing it perfectly in his arms. "Play it for me."

"What? No!" Craig put it back on the table. "I suck and sound like shit."

Tweek put it back into his arms, holding the instrument there with his hands to keep Craig from placing it on the table again. "Exactly why you should do it. Plus-" Tweek came closer to Craig, almost snuggling up to him as he did. His hands leaving the ukulele to hold his arm with a gentle hold. His voice was soft and his smile kind as he said. "I wanna hear you play."

Craig looked at Tweek with a nervous frown. He didn't want to play for him and completely embarrass himself. He wasn't even sure he followed the tuning instructions correctly. Tweek had heard Token play something that was probably phenomenal and a work of art in every way, there's no way that he could measure up. Even worse was the video he had put on to play the damn thing. It was a tutorial for a random song from the dumb vampire movie that Tweek was obsessed with. It seemed pretty easy at first, but he quickly learned it wasn't.

He was about to refuse, but with most things that involved Tweek these days, there was a small weakness that- _this time_ -made Craig give in.

He sighed.

"Fine... but I have to watch a video to play." Craig said, wishing he sounded less embarrassed. Opening his phone up to restart the video that he had been practicing for the past three days.

Tweek's face lit up in excitement, coming impossibly closer to Craig; his cheek nudging Craig's shoulder. "Fine by me. What song are you playing?"

"It's um..." Craig felt his face heat up as he thought about the song. "It's Flightless Bird."

Tweek looked at the side of Craig's face in shock. "That's a Twilight song."

"Really?" Craig grabbed his phone to get the video back up. "Didn't even know."

Craig started the video over and the man started with the usual introduction, a wave and quick overview of what they're going to play and how easy it will be. Although this guy had a very different situation that probably made it easier to play. He had a tuned ukulele, a basic grasp of the instrument, knew all the chords and he didn't have an eager Tweek's head on his shoulder.

He started out pretty strong at the beginning because the song started slow, Tweek even seemed impressed for a moment, but then the chorus came and everything went to shit. The delicate strings that had to be plucked were being neglected. Craig's attention being on the top of the ukulele with the chords instead of evenly distributing his care.

Tweek felt his ears wince as Craig continued, the soft sounds were now like an angry cat. It's still soft, its just not worth being around. "Is this... apart of the song?"

"No..." Craig felt his face heat up, this is exactly what he didn't want to happen. "I don't think so."

Tweek pouted his mouth off to the side as he watched Craig continue to struggle, it was a car wreck. Noticing in particular how he was being tripped up by the strumming. The problem giving him a solution. "Stop."

Craig winced to himself as he heard the word, Tweek couldn't even make it through the whole song. He placed the instrument on his lap, giving up on it if Tweek couldn't even stand to get through it. "I know, it's bad."

"No, I have an idea." Tweek leaned forward and restarted the video, taking the neck of the ukulele into his hands after. Holding up the bottom part for Craig to take in an equal distribution. "I do this part, you strum."

Craig took his end, but raised a wordless eyebrow towards the blonde. 

Tweek caught the look. "It'll make it easier to play."

Then they were playing. 

The notes were still slightly off, but they were at least being hit and the song finally seemed like a song. Craig's fingers plucked every note with a newfound care, the improvement being heard as he played. Tweek's newly introduced hands may have been a bit slow on the chords, but they still managed to make the notes in time. Their own little song filling the room and the space between them, the tune making them both smile subconsciously. Even with the misstepped notes, they were making a song together. They were proud. 

Despite wanting to appreciate this moment, Tweek couldn't let the question and or hunch in his head go away. Craig had stolen a ukulele and was trying to learn to play it for a currently unknown reason. He had only been tutoring Craig for a couple months now, but he could tell that this was out of character. 

"Can I ask you something?" Tweek interrupted, his fingers still playing and eyes still watching the man on the screen. 

Craig nodded, finally finding the perfect rhythm for his fingers to play. "Yeah."

"Why did you take this?" Tweek asked and the second after, feeling dumb. The look on Craig's face after he said it showed that it was a dumb question, or he just didn't want to answer. "I mean, obviously you wanted to play, but why all the sudden? You've never even mentioned playing or wanting to play and the only time we've talked about ukuleles is last week when we were talking about Tok-"

Tweek stopped as he suddenly had an epiphany. 

His words falling short and mouth making a small 'o' as he realized the reason why Craig seemed to want a ukulele. His hand falling from his part and head doing a slow turn to see Craig's embarrassed face. He had his head and eyes down, he had stopped playing and his hands were awkward as he set the ukulele in his lap. The only sound in the room being the video playing the song. 

They sat in the truth like a pair of wet pants. 

"You know... not that it matters... but I don't care if you can play the ukulele or not." Tweek smiled to himself as he stared at the man still playing on the screen. "Or give shoes to Tiny Tim... or hug a tree."

Craig looked at Tweek through the corner of his eye. 

He was fucked, Tweek definitely knew. Craig wasn't fully sure why he did it himself, but Tweek somewhat knowing why he did it felt dangerous for reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom. A lurching feeling that he's felt before came up again, it made him want to jump out the two-story window, but he stayed still. 

"Once again... not that it matters." Tweek kept his sight on the phone and put his hands in his lap. "I don't know why you would care what I think." 

"I do." 

Tweek looked up at Craig with big eyes. Thinking to himself while he stared at Craig that he really, really should stop having dairy because this feeling is annoying.

"You grade my homework." Craig said with a grin. "What you think matters a lot."

Tweek's feeling disappeared and his wide eyes squinted into a glare, hitting Craig's arm with a playful punch. 

"Oh shut up, you _thief_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hrmmrmrmhmrmrmrm


	15. Fakery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLS READ! 
> 
> There is use of the f-slur in this chapter!  
> It is not used in a cruel way, but is used in the chapter!  
> Please beware.

"No."

Tweek's face fell. "What? Come on!" He got up from his seat and walked around the table, squatting next to Craig's seat with another pleading look. "It would be fun~" His words being singsonged out to try and convince the stubborn boy. 

"I think I remember you saying 'no one wants to see the student council awkwardly sponge down a car'." Craig then poked Tweek's nose with his pencil. " _You_ , can have plenty of fun there with Romeo and the rest of the get-along-bunch."

Tweek groaned and stood up, looking down at Craig with a glare. "I help you everyday and you can't do this _one_ thing for me?"

"That's different, you signed up for this." Craig then flipped over the sheet he was working on and rolled his eyes at the fifty other questions on the back. "I didn't sign up to wash cars for people."

Tweek crossed his arms. "Now you're just being a dick." He stayed standing and glowering at Craig, hoping his stare was enough to convince him; it's worked before. "Why don't you want to?"

"For the exact reason you said last week. It's awkward." Craig frowned as he looked at the third question, he wasn't quite sure what it was asking for. "I don't wanna be shirtless and sponge things down with people I don't know."

Tweek scoffed. "Sounds like a regular night for you."

"Hey, we both know I'm dating someone now." Craig watched Tweek's face for a smile at the small quip and got nothing, he was staring back with a displeased scowl. "I'm not doing it."

Tweek then put his hands up in defeat, his scowl dropping as he turned to his seat. " _Fine_."

"Great, now that _that_ conversation is over. I don't understand question number-"

"Oh I'm sorry." Tweek let out a small laugh. "Are you asking me for my help?"

Craig's face fell. 

_Shit._

"Tweek, don't be like this. I told you, I just don't wanna be around-"

Tweek then hummed to himself, his pointer finger going against his chin in mock thought. "I know you couldn't be after you just refused to help me."

"Tweek-"

"You know what? You're right." Tweek then reached into his bag and pulled out his phone. "Now _would_ be a good time to learn a Tik Tok dance." He then gave a cutesy smile and a shrug of the shoulders to Craig, getting up from his chair to walk out the room. "Have fun figuring out what a colloquialism is without me!"

The door promptly opened then shut, leaving Craig alone with his work. He groaned and let his head fall on his work. "I don't even get to watch."

This might be idiotic, this might be a futile attempt at help, this might cause him to end up in a worse spot than he was in before, but he was desperate for someone to help him with his homework at this point... but not desperate enough to ask his mom. 

Craig had his hood up and the strings tightened to further hide his face, not wanting to catch the attention of any familiar faces from the bar fight the other night. He didn't need to get beat up when he's just trying to get his English homework done. 

He gave a quick look around the area in front of Skeeter's, seeing the coast was clear and walked in. 

He was lucky to see there were no familiar faces in the bar today, but there were some equally strange characters. All of the men were wearing overalls and varying colors of Khakis with full pockets. A large portion of them also wearing large sun hats. 

Chef even seemed to be in the spirit of whatever these men were doing, his own large floppy hat replacing his usual hat. He was whistling a light-hearted tune and swaying his head as he wiped down the counter. 

"Chef?" Craig called, not expecting the imposter of his friend that was wearing a sun hat to respond. 

Chef looked up and beamed with joy. "Craig! You got away in the end!" The man pulled out a small bowl of nuts and tried to offer it to the teen. 

"Heh, barely." Craig sat down on the barstool in front of Chef and set his backpack down on the spot next to him. Giving a small push to the small bowl to decline. 

Chef eyed the bag and raised an eyebrow, taking a quick glance at the clock on the wall to ensure it was the time he thought it was. "Aren't you supposed to be with your tutor right now?"

"Yeah, but we're kinda fighting right now." Craig opened his backpack, preparing to do the homework at the bar. 

Chef frowned. "It's what happens when people fuck once then never again."

"What? No!" Craig gave a glare to Chef. "I wouldn't help him with something and he got pissy."

Chef put his hands on his hips. "Why wouldn't you jerk him off?"

"No! He needed _regular_ help!" Craig's face burned with embarrassment and anger as he raised his voice to clear up the misconception. "He asked me to help him with a carwash and I said no."

Chef then nodded. "Oh... Why wouldn't you help him?"

"Ugh." Craig rolled his eyes at his friend, ignoring the question. But stares on the side and back of him alerted him to his surroundings once more. The men, who had been drinking and chatting about different soils and the pH levels in them, had all turned to look towards the conversation going on. Craig turned his head over his shoulder to look at the men with a glare. The quick action working in getting their eyes away from him. "What's with these guys and the hats?"

Chef got excited at the question. "It's Flower Tender Tuesday!"

"Once again, what's with these guys and the hats?"

Chef let out a chuckle as he pulled out a mini calendar from under the counter, mimicking a magician as he did. Craig was never too sure what would come out from under there. "It's the different days of the week that certain groups are here." 

Chef showed that today's date had been marked off as 'Flower Tenders Tuesday'. "Today all of the garden society people from across the street come in. I'm wearing a gardening hat to make them feel less out of place." He flipped to the next day and showed off Wednesday. "And this is Christian Social Wednesday. All of the priests in town come and complain about the church." 

"What the...?" Craig furrowed his brow as he looked at the calendar. "I've never seen any of these people when I come on those days."

Chef gave a nod of the head. "Ever since you started to learn and go to school, business has gone up." He shrugged as he said. "I think you make people not wanna come here."

Craig rolled his eyes. "That's stupid." 

"No, it's true." Chef flipped back until two Fridays ago was displayed on the calendar. "You came on Biker Friday last time. Then after that, there were less people on Friday next week."

Craig glared at Chef. "I was almost beaten."

"Almost costed me some good customers." Chef then put his hands up as he explained. "Plus Ethan and his friends were drunk that night and they feel bad for what happened that night."

Craig shook his head, his head falling onto his palm. "Great, remorseful bikers."

"You should be so lucky." Chef then turned his calendar to the upcoming Thursday. "You could have been here on PC Thursday when you were spouting that 'he's a Twink shit'."

Craig raised a brow. "PC Thursday?"

"It's a bunch of political correct wackos. Trust me, you don't want to mess with them." Chef then reached under the counter a pulled out tooth. "This came from a guy who said the r-word casually."

Craig looked at the tooth, taking it into his fingers to further inspect it. "On what punch did it come out?"

"The first." Chef said gravely. 

Craig eyes widened, both impressed and horrified by the person that has done this. " _Damn_."

"Tweek, you can't seriously be mad _still_?" Craig asked, frowning at the sight of Tweek filing his nails in front of him after being asked a question. 

Tweek held his hand away from his then brought it back to view, his eyes and brows sharp as he stare at the finely manicured hand. "Why would you think I'm mad?" 

"Ugh, Tweek, come on. Anything else I'd help you." Craig semi-whined, hoping the tone would strike some helpfulness in Tweek like it had once before. 

Tweek looked towards him with a sudden sympathy, sighing before putting down the nail file he had just been using. "Okay... What do you need?"

" _Oh thank god_." Craig muttered before he moved his chair towards Tweek for the first time in the history of their whole sessions. The hurried movement perfectly displaying the desperation Craig was feeling for some help from his tutor. "So it's for math. I don't know how to-"

The sharp sound of air being sucked in through his teeth interrupting the needy male. "Oooo... Did you say math?" His face becoming uneasy as he asked Craig the question. 

"Uh yeah... Why?" Craig asked unsure of the sudden halt in help. 

Tweek gave a frown. "I'm sorry, I can't do math." His lips turned up in devious curls and eyes sharpened to remind Craig of treacherous snakes that were made to deceive and lead people into temptation. "Anything else... I'd help you." He then leaned back in his chair with a smug smile that made Craig feel a lot of different ways, the main being shocked. 

Tweek held _hella_ grudges. 

"Chef, I'm back!" Craig called out into the bar, about to say more, but the large amount of religious characters stopping him in his tracks and his words. "What the fuck?"

A few pastors in the corner seemed to hiss at the language, their bodies reacting by leaning as far away from the cursing teen as they could. It was like they were burned by the language as a vampire would be by a cross or garlic. One out of the three was so disturbed that he got up and left from the booth he had been sitting at with his friends. 

"Wait, Pastor Mike!" Chef said as he came out from behind the counter to try and retrieve the lost customer. The man then turned to Craig with a frown and an _almost_ angry stare, which means that Chef was pissed. He walked towards the teen and grabbed him by the back of the hoodie, pulling him into the back room. Letting him go when the door to the room was close and they were away from-literal-christian ears. "I oughta slap you for that. Didn't I just tell you that you were bad for business?"

Craig put his hands up in the air. "How am I supposed to know you're going to be serving the Last Supper today?"

"I showed you all the different days just Tuesday!" Chef argued. 

Craig rolled his eyes. "It's just one guy."

"Hey, I'm three more days of good business away from finally getting the 43rd vacation house." Chef said back, putting his hands on his hips with a frown. 

Craig just shook his head. "I'm sure he won't affect the whole bunch." 

"But _you_ will!" Chef pulled Craig to the back room's door back ou to the bar and pushed him out, saying in a hushed voice. "Now get out before you offend any more of these men."

Craig sighed. He had officially given up. 

He'd been temporarily dumped by his tutor. 

He'd been cast out by his only friend to turn to for math help. 

He didn't understand the YouTube tutorials that were supposed to help. 

He still didn't know the answer to number three. 

And he was hungry. 

He let out a groan as he thought about the blonde that used to be attentive and happy to help him, but is now spending their special time on his phone without a sliver of remorse for Craig. 

Maybe he should just do the damn carwash. 

_No._

Things haven't gotten that bad yet. 

He didn't want to hang out with Token and Wendy and see their fake, high society asses interact with Tweek. He wouldn't be able to stand it. He's sure he would slip up and say something that 'the helping hand pals' wouldn't like, thus something that Tweek wouldn't like. Then his tutor would be angry with him, then he wouldn't even get to see Tweek after school. He didn't need him out of his life, he just needed him off his case on this particular event. 

He might not be at a low enough point to make him willing to help in the carwash, but he was at the low enough point to ask his mom for help. 

"Hey Mom." Craig plopped down at the kitchen table where his mother was working on her computer.

Laura glanced up quickly, but suspiciously. "What do you need?"

"I don't only talk to you when I need something you know." Craig said with a huff. 

The mother raised an eyebrow at her son. 

"Okay... I need math help." Craig sighed out. 

Laura seemed to perk up, pushing her laptop to the side for the moment. "Oh. That's actually a lot better than I thought it was."

"So you'll help me?" Craig asked hesitantly. 

She nodded. "Of course, but what about your tutor?"

"He..." Craig bit on his lip for a moment. He didn't want his mom to know that he was given the worlds pettiest silent treatment and for the numbest reason. "He had some important stuff to do today."

"Oh okay." Laura then tapped the table to signal she was ready for helping. "Now show me what you need help with. It can't be that hard!"

_15 minutes later~_

"WHY DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT A HYPERBOLA IS?!" 

"WHY DO YOU KNOW WHAT ONE IS?!"

Laura slammed her hand on the paper and for the thousandths time circled the problem with a pen, the aggressive sound catching sound ringing in both of their ears. "Okay, Craig..." She tried to calm herself with a quick breath through her noise. "What are its asymptotes?"

"What the fuck are asymptotes?!" Craig yelled as he heard the foreign word that he could have sworn she just made up to trick him. 

"CALL YOUR TUTOR!" Laura yelled as she stormed off from the table, retreating upstairs to get away from her son that seemingly knows nothing about math. 

"NO!" Craig shouted back. Deciding it was best to leave the situation. He picked up all of his school stuff and crammed it into his bag, not caring about the wrinkles that would happen and bother Tweek. Remembering the fact Tweek definitely isn't going to be seeing his papers anytime soon, Craig shoved them a little harsher into his bag. 

Craig grumbled as he started up his car, preparing to go to Chef's. Allowed or not. He needed help and a serious venting session. 

"Chef!" Craig yelled as he came it. Not giving notice to the large amounts of buff, muscle tee wearing, males in the bar as he did. 

Chef looked up from the drink he was pouring with big eyes. They were in shock as Craig came and sat in the stool in front of him, even more shocked by the fact Craig was moving past the people in the bar like they're balloons when they very much _weren't_ balloons. 

"Craig, I promise you can be here any other day, but today isn't the day for it." Chef said in a low-voice to the teen. Giving hurried looks around the bar at the males that were insanely muscular and stocky that were currently glaring at Craig. 

Craig scoffed. "No, Chef. You don't understand this shit is getting crazy!" He ran a hand through his hair, his hat falling onto his hunched back as he did. "I've been stuck on the same fucking math problem for four days!"

" _Craig._ " Chef strained out, hoping the voice will be enough to get the absentminded teens attention, leaning across the counter as he went to speak more. "I'm telling you. You don't want to be here right now."

Craig shook his head. "I'm staying."

"Oh my god, you're going to get yourself killed." Chef mumbled. He then looked up and around at the-for the mean time-occupied men in the bar. While their attentions were averted from the uncouth teen, Chef finally was able to relax a bit and think about what to do with Craig. "Alright... just go sit in that booth in the corner and I'll come over in a bit."

Craig grabbed his bag and got up from his stool, uttering an exasperated. "Finally."

He sat in his booth with a loud exhale of air, he was still peeved by what had just happened with his mom and the whole Tweek situation, but just being able to know he was about to talk to Chef made him feel better. 

Or that was until he got a phone call. 

It was his mom. 

"What?" Craig answered full of love- _hatred_ -and care- _utter hatred_ -for the woman who birthed him. The questioning of his intelligence from his mom not feeling nice earlier and still burning in his single word to her. The dig at him only reminded him of Tweek and how the blonde had never made him feel dumb and would only try to help the best he could. 

Laura gave a middle-finger through the phone. Craig couldn't see it, but he could feel it. He knew his mom well enough to know when she was flipping him off. "You left your pencil case here and..." Craig waited for his mother to say more, but she seemed to have stopped in her tracks. "Craig, where are you?"

"God damn it." Craig cursed to himself. 

He heard his mom do that mom-inhale before a long winded tangent was about to start. "I swear to god Craig if you're at that god-forsaken bar! That place is a shit-hole and a death trap!" She proceeded to insult the place of business while Craig just sat and listened. Not taking anything from the experience of being yelled at nor the semi-factual facts she was saying. 

His mom had hated Skeeter's from the first time she tracked him down to the place when he was sixteen. She scolded Chef and Craig, both of them getting equal tongue lashings, but also equal lack of sense given to them. This would probably be the seventh time she would be catching him at the bar and telling him to promise he would never come back. 

"You promise you will leave and not go back to that place!" Laura yelled through the phone. 

Maybe it was the eighth. 

"I promise I'll leave and not go back." Craig said back, holding in the groan sitting in the back of his throat. They both knew he meant nothing when he said it, yet they still did it every time. It was completely pointless, but Craig hypothesized that his mother needed it to make her feel better about Craig being out.

He hung up the phone after a few more minutes of lecturing from his mother. Leaning back in the seat and letting out the groan that had been waiting while he was on the phone. He laid his arm over the top of the booth, bending his arm to pinch at the middle of his nose and close his eyes. The action usually made him feel worse, but it became a habit too long of a time ago to change it now. "What a nag."

"The fuck?!" A voice said way too close to Craig's area for it to be a normal complaint of the bar. 

Craig let go of his nose's bridge and looked at the fuming beefed up jock in front of him. Raising an eyebrow at the sunglasses that were on the man's face despite them being inside and inside a dark place at that. "Can I help you?"

"What the fuck did you just say, bro?!" The man said out with an even more aggressive tone. 

Craig glared at the guy. "Why is it any of your business?"

"The f-word slur can hurt many individuals in its use! Much like I will break your legs if you use it." The man's stand changed from his arms being crossed to being at his sides. The arms being slight raised as he yelled at Craig, almost like he was bird preparing to fly off in heated anger. 

"The f-word slur...?" Craig took a look around at the bar wondering what the fuck had happened in the six seconds he had been sitting here for. Also wondering why this man is approaching him about random words. "Oh you mean fag?"

The man's angered face became enraged. "Do not use that word!" He took off his sunglasses to further glower at Craig. "Many individuals have to go through torment that involves that word! You never know who is being affected by the usage!"

"Dude, fuck off." Craig flipped off the man still shouting at him. "I'm a fag."

The man's face became completely red in anger as he crushed the sunglasses he was holding in his hands in half. The action sparking a memory of a 'relocated' tooth from earlier this week and causing Craig's heart rate to immediately quicken in fear. 

"This guy just lied about his sexuality to undermine the struggles of others!" The man grabbed onto Craig's shoulders and threw him out of the booth in a swift motion. The teen has never felt so small nor so weightless at the same time, it was quickly added to the list of most terrifying moments in Craig's head. 

He collided with the floor butt first then head, barely understanding the group starting to surround him as he propped himself up on his elbows. His vision a little off for and seeing two before he saw that this circle was getting smaller and more compact and most definitely louder. Different shouts of being called a bigot and a misogynist being thrown out even though only one of them applied in the moment. 

"Chef, what day is it?" Craig asked as he kicked his feet away from the closing in males.

Chef watched the crowd surrounding the teen with fear for Craig, but knowing if he were to try and halt whatever was about to happen, he would be labeled as a bigot too and his bar would be trashed. "PC Thursday."

" _Shit_."

Tweek picked up a flower from the small stand he was standing by, breathing in deeply as he held it close to his nose. Savoring the therapeutic smell that it gave off in return, letting a hum flow through his throat as he put the purple flower down. His eyes catching a bushel of yellow flowers in the vase next to the purple flowers. An excited smile coming to his face as he picked up the next flower, giving an even softer hum to this one. It was a bit sharper in fragrance, but it worked well for it. 

He put the single daffodil back in its vase, smiling as it fell perfectly back into its spot within the herd of itself. 

He moved on and stated to walk down the sidewalk with an absentminded smile. It had been a good afternoon. Without having to help Craig, he had gotten his work done early and he was able to frolic about the town. Smelling flowers and buying obscure butter flavors, like pumpkin butter. 

Just as he was about to turn the corner to the next block of different street side vendors that had been going on, a hard force collided with him. It almost completed knocked him off his feet, but a pair of large hands on the side of his arms kept him upright. Tweek was so stunned to be knocked out of his divine, flower smelling, trance that he could only keep staring at the black t-shirt in front of his face. 

"Sorry! Excuse m-Tweek!"

Tweek stopped staring at the black in front of him to look up at wide and almost frightened eyes that were staring at him with a desperation that made him nervous. "Craig?"

"Yeah! It's me!" Craig said frenzied and not letting go of Tweek, his grip only tightening. 

Tweek's furrowed upwards in worry, his whole look giving Tweek bad vibes. Craig was just barely becoming expressive with him and he doubts he would suddenly start looking scared in front of him. The most troubling being the missing hat atop the noirette's head. "What's wrong? Where's your hat?"

"Do you have your car? We gotta get out of here." Craig rushed out, turning his head behind him every other second. 

Tweek put his hands on Craig's chest. "What? No, I walked. What's happening?"

"I pissed off some PC guys and they wanna kick my teeth in because they think I'm a-" Craig stopped mid-sentence and looked down at Tweek, his jumpy demeanor being calmed slightly. "I have an idea, but you gotta help me."

Tweek only stared on with confusion and growing worry. "Why? Craig, what's happening? Why do you need my help?" He then remembered the reason he was out on the town in the first place at the usage of the word 'help'. His worried brows fell into a more calm place and he gave Craig a look. "Hold on, you want my help?"

"Oh god." Craig's worry started to flare up again. "Tweek, this isn't the time. I'm about to get curb-stopped by steroid using Wheezer fans." 

Tweek almost laughed at the phrase despite the obvious seriousness behind it. Suppressing the small laughs tickling in his throat, Tweek stood taller. "Sucks that you can't wash a car to keep that from happening."

Craig looked back and saw the previously escaped from crowd of PC guys stampeding towards him like angered buffalo. Overly powered and Overly fast. The distance between them only closing. "Can't fucking believe this is how this is going." Craig then looked back towards Tweek with a tight face. "Fine, I'll do the stupid carwash." 

"Aww, Craig you're so kind for volunteering." Tweek said with a smile before it dropped and he took a more serious face. "Now what do you need?"

"You have to pretend to be my boyfriend."

Tweek's eyes bulged out. "What?"

"I know, but that's the only way they're gonna leave us alone." Craig said, his head tilting forward as he said this to Tweek, hoping his earnest need for help was being show through the motion. 

Tweek pouted for a second before he gave in with a quick. "Okay." 

"Oh shoot." Craig pulled Tweek closer to him as he saw the gang of woke men approaching. "Can you act?" 

Tweek scoffed. "Pfft. Can I act?"

"There he is!" 

As soon as the crowd came close Tweek's head collapsed against Craig's shoulder, snuggling into the space of the taller male's neck with a sweet coo. His hands raising to hold onto Craig's shoulder protectively, but oh so very sweetly. Craig wanted to say something about the complete change, mostly how he was amazed by it, but he decided that it would have to wait for another time. 

Craig grabbed onto Tweek's waist, pulling him flush against his front for safety and performance. 

That's when the pair heard the halting of feet and skids against the sidewalk to stop running, a good sign to Craig that this plan was working, or so far. 

"What the...?"

Craig turned him and the smaller male in his arm towards the stopped crowd, all of them staring in shock and varying levels of confusion. Tweek peeked open his eye closest to the group of PCs, giving a pouty frown as he lifted his head frown Craig's shoulder.

"Are you the men trying to attack my _Craiggy Bear_?" Tweek's voice raising into a whine as he said his 'boyfriends' name. His hands coming up to squish Craig's face between his palms like a sandwich, mushing his cheeks around to accompany his question. 

The men in front of them all were flabbergasted, most of them unable to get out a reasoning behind the chase. A single, less buffed bro, stepped forward, taking off his sunglasses to apologetically say. "Yes. We are the ones trying to attack your Craiggy Bear." 

Tweek and Craig both had to suppress the laugh that wanted to come out at a grown man who had just seriously said 'Craiggy Bear'. Craig recovered first and squeezed Tweek's waist to help him get a grip. "I think I can speak for _both of us_ when I say, we have no idea why you would want to attack me."

"Ah!" Tweek gasped. "Maybe they're homophobic!"

"Woah! Woah! Woah! No!No! No!" The group said in a collective, quickly trying to clear up what was being said about them. Not wanting a sudden charge of a hate-crime being on their docket of good work for the society. 

Tweek frowned as he pushed his face against Craig's, their cheeks smushing together as Tweek rubbed his face with Craig's. His voice still whiney as he said. "Then why would you ever want to hurt my sweet boyfriend?"

The small buff spoke again for the group. "Well you see, your Craiggy Bear was heard saying the homophobic slur staring with 'f'."

" _Oh my god_." Tweek muttered in his regular voice, still amazed by the man saying Craig's fake nickname so calmly, but quickly cleared his throat and said. "You mean fag?"

All of the men seemed to have mixed reactions as they heard Tweek say it, ranging from confusion, slight anger and odd acceptance. Yet one face in particular had a stone cold stare with no emotion in it, the set of eyes didn't believe a single thing the pair was saying. 

"Yes, sir." The small buff finally said out. "That's the one."

Tweek gave a sweet smile as he turned his head towards Craig to nuzzle his cheek, giving an airy laugh as he did. "Oh that? Craiggy and I call each other that sometimes. It's our way of taking the word back." Tweek then gave a kiss on the cheek to Craig. The small lip contact not being as harmless as either thought it would be, both of the boys feeling a jolt of... _something _go through them. They suddenly became hyper-aware of their close position and silently begged for the interaction to be over.__

__"Oh okay." The small buff said with his head falling in small amounts of shame. "We'll be going now."_ _

__Craig gave a sigh of relief into Tweek's hair, his body un-tensing, but still feeling plenty tense because of the contact between him and Tweek. Watching with happy eyes as the men slowly started to turn around and walk away, giving a victory squeeze of the waist._ _

__" _Wait_."_ _

__Everyone's eyes looked at the tall PC standing out amongst the crowd, he was the only one still facing the couple. His eyes were sharp as he stared down Craig. They were like hawks as he spoke again. "How do we know they're really dating?"_ _

__" _Shit_." Tweek cursed into Craig's neck. _ _

__"I would do it for my bro." The PC said to the crowd, he stood as if he were talking to a clan and not a 12 person group of woke gym junkies. "Any of us would do it for a bro! Would we not?!"_ _

__The group seemed to rally back together and turn back towards 'the couple', apparently they would all be in a fake relationship for the bros. This fact making the impending doom start to set in as the gym junkies took a sudden step closer to Tweek and Craig._ _

__Craig in an effort of quick thinking, reached down and grabbed at Tweek's butt. "Would you do this with the homies?" Tweek let out a yelp at the sudden grope, but hid it with a polite smile. The group of men around them seemed to be slightly swayed by the contact, but not convinced._ _

__Tweek gave a sweet glare to Craig as he started to squish the ass in his hands. Leaning forward to touch noses with Craig, Tweek said a sugary. " _Honey_?"_ _

__"Yes, _Dear_?" Craig answered back with a halt of his hands. _ _

__Tweek giggled cutely then went past Craig's face to whisper in his ear. "If you don't stop touching my ass." Tweek gave a small outline of Craig's ear with the tip of his nose and continued just as cutely. "I gonna cut your dick off." He then pulled back with another fake giggle, nuzzling his nose with Craig's as he waited for the proper response._ _

__"Of course, _Dear_." Craig then moved his lowered hands back up to Tweek's waist, turning his face back to the PC crew with a tight-lipped smile. "Anything else you want from us?"_ _

__The group all shared looks with each other, the tallest leaning down to the small buff and whispering something unintelligible. The decision of their fates seeming to rely on the biased and tall PC crew member. After the whispering and collaborating was done, the small man stood tall and said a quick. "Kiss."_ _

__Small shouts from the crowd echoed the notion._ _

__"Yeah!"_ _

__"Prove it!"_ _

__Craig and Tweek looked back at each other, they winced as they thought of an idea to try and get themselves out of this. Mouthing different things to one another in hopes of an excuse, Tweek picking up different words from the ones mouthed. Craig trying to use his whole face to convey one word and Tweek think that in any other circumstance, like maybe Pictionary that this would be funny._ _

__"Ooo we can't." Tweek nodded, trying to convince himself of the lie he was about to tell. "The doctors said we kiss too much, so he put us on a kissing diet."_ _

__Craig nodded along with Tweek. "Yep, I've been bruising him lately."_ _

__The PC group only stared at them with skeptical faces._ _

__"It's true!" Tweek said in a very (un)believing way. "He's a real pecker!"_ _

__Craig gave a fake sigh. "It's sad, but true. I'm a _mean_ kisser."_ _

__The tall PC man glared at them for a moment, playing judge and juror in his brain to decide the pairs fate. After a couple seconds, a verdict. "They're lying. Get them."_ _

__The group started to take steps towards them again, the heavy feet falling against the concrete with a marching band sound. The daunting noise making the pairs heart race in fear and anticipation, they weren't sure what the group would do when they got them, but they knew it wouldn't going to be good. Craig feeling more than guilty about the fact he had dragged Tweek into the mess and he was now going to get the same fate as Craig._ _

__"Wait!" Tweek yelled wrapping his arms around Craig's neck securely. He couldn't tell if it was apart of the act or Tweek was genuinely doing this to keep him safe from harm. "Don't... We'll kiss."_ _

__Craig looked at Tweek with wide eyes. "Are you sure?"_ _

__Tweek nodded and put his hand on the side of Craig's face, his fingers laying right next to the corner of Craig's mouth. Effectively covering the whole kissing part of what was about to be their kiss. The blonde leaned in and whispered into the small space. "Kiss to the side."_ _

__Then they felt it again._ _

__That electric feeling as their lips met non-lip._ _

__Their mouths moved against the corner of one another lips, the slow methodically movements turning that feeling into something deep within their guts. One that made them want to pull away, but at the same time keep going. The jolt surged its way through each teens body and broke down sudden barriers that were better left unbroken. The feeling curled deep in Tweek's stomach and he immediately regretted the yogurt he had during lunch, scolding himself for having packed himself dairy when he knew his stomach is acting up. Craig held Tweek closer as the feeling surged through him, thinking about the fact he hasn't had sex in a long time. Also thinking that if any one were to go a lot time without sensual touch then be exposed to it again, they would have this strange throw up feeling in their guts._ _

__Tweek parted away for a moment, their heavy breaths mingling before Craig grasped the sides of the blonde's head to reconnect the sides of their mouths. Tweek making sure not to move his hand and expose that they haven't actually been kissing. Even though they weren't, they felt that much closer like they had kissed one another. That antsy feeling that gives you the shivers after a first, real, kiss rang throughout them as they pulled on one another. The t-shirt Tweek had been staring at earlier becoming a place for his hands to grip onto and pull._ _

_God it feels like we're kissing._

__Tweek seemed to let out a purr as he pulled back from Craig again, his eyelids were heavy with the want to fall back into what they were just doing again. Even his head seemed liked it was made of bricks, like it needed Craig's forehead to correctly stand on its own. Which it most definitely did as Tweek let his forehead press into Craig's. Their eyes locking in a pinky promise to leave this memory _unremembered._ Although their bodies will definitely remember it._ _

__Tweek turned his head from Craig to the crowd they had for a brief moment forgotten about. "Is that good?"_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to start proofreading my fics :S (Emoticon by Tweek)


	16. I Love Dodge Ball With No Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to write! I had finals, but now I am a slightly freer woman! Also sorry for the behemoth of a chapter that is about to come your way. 
> 
> Also if you can, find the hidden Les Misérables Reference ;)

" _Jesus Christ._ "

Tweek hissed to himself as he set up buckets with soapy water. Filling them with strikingly cold hose water then pouring a generous amount of soap into the arctic bucket. Having to do the torturous task of reaching his hand in to mix the deadly water and make the mixture nice and sudsy. Each time he did it he knew the cold water was coming, but still gasped and gave a whole body convulsion as his hand swirled around the bucket.

He pulled out his hand after the sixteenth bucket and shivered, glad to finally be done with the agonizing job. Shake drying off his frigid hand that felt as thought it were about to fall off from his wrist.

"Hey, I'm here."

Tweek turned around and saw his usual person staring back at him. "Hey, Craig." He did his best to suppress the second wave of shivers traveling up his spine. Grasping his freezing hand with the regular temperature one in hopes of warming it.

"Cold?" Craig said with a raise of an eyebrow.

Tweek nodded and motioned to the buckets on the table behind him with his coddled hand. "The water is."

"Really?" Craig walked to the buckets and let his fingers splash around before pulling them out. "Shit. I'm gonna freeze."

Tweek shrugged, leaning himself against Craig's side with a smug smirk. "It's the price you pay, _Craiggy._ "

"And you complain when I call you, _Babe._ " Craig said with downward glance to the blonde head of hair against him.

Tweek stopped leaning against the male next to him and walked around the table, bending over to turn off the hose. "Oh please. It is so not the same."

"It actually is." Craig followed Tweek's frame with a small smile, it was strange seeing him out of his usual jeans and sweaters in exchange for an orange tee and white shorts. The outfit reminding him of a creamsicle. Especially Tweek's pale legs that acted as the stick for the orange flavored popsicle, his eyes unwillingly lingering on the thighs that were halfway exposed in those shorts. "A name for a name."

Tweek scoffed and stood up straight again. "Well." He then walked to the front of Craig and squished Craig's cheeks together with one hand. "One is more deserved than the other, _Craiggy Bear_." Tweek adopting that whiney and almost sultry voice as he said the nickname. He then gave a firm pat to the side of Craig's face. "Now go get dressed, cars- _supposedly_ -are gonna start lining up in ten."

"Alright, see you around... _Babe_."

Tweek rolled his eyes and did a poor job of hiding his smile. "Just go."

It had only been a few days after the impromptu acting gig Tweek had gotten as Craig's boyfriend and they both felt less awkward than expected. Of course at first they had that strange moment of 'hey we _kinda_ just kissed and we barely shake hands so I now refuse to look you in the eye but will still stand oddly close to you'. 

"Is that good?"

The PC group of men in front of the teens bowed their heads in shame, they had all been proved wrong about their suspicions. All of them seeming to mutter their own apologies to the 'couple' as they looked at the ground.

Reading the room, the men turned themselves away from the display of affection that was still going on in front of them. Feeling as though they were intruding on a much too personal scene between lovers.

"We'll be going now." The shortest beefed man of the group said as he turned away from the sight. "And let you guys... _be._ "

Tweek and Craig looked away from the walking pack of gym junkies, turning their gazes back towards one another.

Their faces burned in reaction to the events that had just happened. Tweek hands that were clenching onto Craig's shirt relaxed and flattened against the pectorals, shaky fingers fanning out to a calm spread. Craig's tight hold around Tweek also relaxed. The waist in his hands no longer being squeezed close to him, but instead loosely held against him. His hands giving deep sighs of relief as they fell to Tweek's hips to rest.

" _Oh my god._ " Tweek sighed out before his head fell into Craig's chest to hide, closing his eyes tight to try and wash away the vision of Craig's face so close to his. Still barely believing that anything that had just happened, had happened.

Craig gave a deep breath and tilted his head up look look at the sky, not wanting to look at the applied pressure to his chest. "I know."

They let themselves stay in a moment of suspension for another couple minutes, just loosely entangled with one another. The closeness not seeming as weird as it once was because of the fact that, it _had_ been worse just a couple minutes ago. Just a few minutes ago they were pulling on one another to just let their lips touch the sides of their mouths. So in comparison it want too strange.

"Oh shit." Craig finally let out, one of his hands letting go of Tweek to brush back his hair, feeling the lack of his favored headgear on his head. Tweek looking up in concern of what could be wrong now. "I left all my stuff at Chef's."

Tweek furrowed a brow. "Chef's?"

Craig peeked his head into Skeeter's. None of the PC men that had inhabited it seemed to be there anymore, there were empty chairs and empty tables where the men met no more. Deeming the space fit he turned back to Tweek and tugged, guiding him into the safety of the constantly on the verge of collapsing bar.

Giving a stern look to chef as they walked in. The wide smile on the man's face only making Craig's face go hard and mouth scowl. Craig bringing Tweek to the countertop of the bar with a huge amount of regret and reluctance to keep him here.

"Hello Craig." Chef beamed, he then gave a look towards Tweek. The big smile and raised eyebrows showing to Craig that he was better off just leaving his stuff here and coming back for it some other time. "And... Who is this?"

_Damn fucker knows who it is._

Craig turns himself towards Tweek and sighs. Out of all the worst decisions Craig has made, this would have to be the biggest. Chef-on a good day-says the equivalent of a sailors dictionary in all five languages he knows at once. Craig could only guess what Chef would accidentally say when he thought he was being polite.

Tweek was about to introduce himself, but looked at the pained expression that Craig wore and stopped. He gave a sideward glance to Chef, wondering about the weird dynamic happening between them. Almost wanting to laugh at Craig's face because of the clenched jaw and deeply stressed brows. All due to a seemingly simple question. Fully letting Craig take charge in introducing him by giving him an expecting smile.

"Yeah, Craig." Tweek leaned a bit closer to the male. "Who am I?"

Craig felt betrayed. Tweek had left him out to dry without even knowing it. Maybe this was further punishment because he had refused to indulge in Tweek's carwash wishes all earlier of this week. Or maybe Tweek had always been this evil. "This... is my tutor... Tweek."

"Oh." Chef mouthed, his deviously polite smile returning. "So this is Mister Mysterious."

Tweek let a small laugh out, giving Craig a quick brow. "I'm Mister Mysterious?"

Craig inwardly groaned, the noise coming out more strangled than the usual groans he gives off. He wasn't entirely sure why Chef knowing Tweek's face and name was a bad thing, but he could just feel it was a bad thing. "Chef, do you have my stuff?"

"Yep!" Chef let his mischievousness go and gave one of his more genuine smiles. He turned towards the door to the back of the bar, calling out to the pair as he went. "So how long you known each other?"

Craig rolled his eyes while Tweek smiled, happy to answer a question that seemed to be vexing his student. "Since the beginning of the semester" He then turned towards the huffing male next to him. "So about three months, right?"

Chef gave a shocked hum through the thin wall of the bar's back room. "Surprised you've lasted this long with ol' Craig." Different noises of clanking and shattering emitted from the back as Chef scrounged around for Craig's backpack. "How do you do it?"

Tweek gave a small chuckle at the question and went to answer, but an elbow in the arm cut him off.

"Don't answer him." Craig said in a hushed tone to his tutor.

"Why not?" Tweek whispered back. "I thought he's your friend.

"He is, but trust me." Craig looked at the backroom's door window and glared at the outline of Chef's hat passing by. " _You_ specifically shouldn't converse with him."

Tweek scoffed. "Oh please. What's the worse he could say?"

"You'll choke on those words in a minute."

Chef came out of the back room with a blue backpack. His breathing being a bit heavy as he slammed the bag onto the counter top. "What the fuck do you have in here, Craig? A fucking mausoleum?"

Craig then gave a nod towards Tweek. "That's a complaint for Professor."

Tweek gave a raise of the brow and a squint of the eyes. "Remember how to spell Wednesday and then you can carry less books."

"Not this again." Craig complained.

Chef watched the two bicker back and forth over the spelling of the day of the week with a wide smile. It was nice to see. Tweek was obviously someone that Craig cared about by the way he's talked about him this week and the way they are talking now.

Craig isn't one to argue, _ever._

He much rather punch someone in the face or say one thing and retire into the recesses of his mind. So to see the teen be fighting and engaging with this small blonde made Chef's heart warm and fuzzy. Like seeing your dog finally learn to pee outside and not the carpet.

"So how long have y'all been fucking?"

Both teens stopped their running mouths to turn towards the questioning man with burnt looking faces. Like they had just taken a casserole out of the oven and the heat had left their cheeks beaten with warmth. Tweek's eyes almost bulging out of his head at the question, his mouth gaping open as he tried to take a quick inhale of air. Almost choking on the sharp intake. The reaction contrasting starkly to Craig's. His reaction perceived himself to be a little more calm about the question, but only his tinted skin showed his true nature.

"Told you so." Craig said after a moments silence.

Tweek was quick to recover after the remark from the male next to him. Looking towards Craig to explain the actuality of their relationship to Chef, but all he was met with was an expecting smile. The student getting his own form of payback as he waited for Tweek to explain.

"W-We aren't!" Tweek half squawked.

Chef frowned and leaned over the bar, trying to see over it to looking at what was currently being held between them. His eyes squinting and mouth pouting to the side as stared at the connection between the two teens. "Then why are y'all holding hands?"

Craig and Tweek looked at their entangled hands and let go. They hadn't remembered grabbing the others hand, but it must have happened sometime during the flee to bar. Both of them then took the opportunity to explain themselves.

"T-The PC guys-"

"-T-They were after him."

"Then I saw him-"

"And we pretended-"

"- that we were dating."

"And he grabbed my hand-"

"-Just in case they saw."

Chef looked at the two as they continued to trip and fumble over themselves and their words. It was less heart warming than watching them argue so he put a halt to it.

"Alright, alright. You guys aren't together." Chef said with a quick dismissal of their words. "You just hang out with each other for hours on end in an enclosed space almost everyday." 

Craig gave a glare to Chef. "That is correct. We don't have anything going on."

"Well, sorry then." Chef put his hands on his hips with a peppy hum, turning towards Tweek with a smile. "But even if you guys aren't together, I hope I'll get to see more of the both of you."

Tweek smiled at Chef. "Depends how his grades are going." He then gave Craig a small smile. "This week in particular hasn't been very productive."

"If he is ever doing well enough to have a Saturday off. Y'all should come by for Lady's Night." Chef leaned forward on the bar with crossed arms. "Drinks are half off and I break out the stereo."

Tweek perked up, a small light switching on behind his eyes. "Do you have karaoke?"

"Alright, time to go." Craig said, quickly ending the conversation. 

Now Tweek was standing at the sponge table, stacking the dry foam blocks into pretty pyramids of yellow, oranges and blues. Preparing them for when the sponges currently in cold water buckets would become dirty and he would have to go out and redistribute new sponges. It was a very serious job that had led him to rearranging the pyramid into various different shapes such as a tower, a smiley face and even a small house. He was talking to Token earlier, but then he said he had to go change even though he said he would be a washer.

It had been twenty minutes since the car-wash started and only two cars came by, one of them was only stopping for directions. This left the current lock-box that was supposed to fund the upcoming prom with a whopping ten dollars. This fact made Tweek look across the empty parking lot-that was currently set up with a soaking station at the beginning, a sudsing station and rinse station in the middle then a drying station at the very end at the exit of the parking lot-at the witch who had cursed his prom with this deathly fate.

Wendy. That horrid girl. She's ruining her prom just as much as she is ruining his. It's their senior year and she wants to destroy what is supposed to be the going away party just because she's petty?

Okay... Tweek respected the dedication, but it was still unbelievable.

"Oh my god!" A girl walking past Tweek's table shouted. "It's Craig Tucker!"

Tweek rolled his eyes at the strange fatuation girls had with the male and continued to stack his sponges. Just to shake things up, he was going for an inverted pyramid. He was feeling super daring with all this free-time on his hands. "He's one of the volunteers." He squatted to get eye level with his structure, purely in the hopes of maintaining better balance and having a successful upside down pyramid.

"No way!" The girl gave a squeal which alerted many other of the surrounding people to the current teen that has come to shock her. Quickly pulling her phone out after the very dignified squeal. "The girls have to come down and see this!"

Tweek gave a small laugh at the comment. "Only if they bring their cars."

"Oh they are definitely gonna want to bring their cars." The girl said as she brought her phone to her head. "Shell, get down here now! Shirtless and wet, Craig Tucker situation!"

Then a small crowd of the student council girls and boys started to flock towards the table, each of the emitting different coos about how 'he's is coming this way!' and different nice, but rather aggressive ways of saying 'move over'. A single elbow knocking over Tweek's work of art and completely collapsing the structure. He frowned and wanted more than anything to punch the elbow that did it because he had finally got the second layer to balance.

His frustration striking him and spinning his body in the direction everyone was fawning over. "Ugh, how good could one guy be?"

He found an answer as his eyes finally caught sight of Craig.

God.

_That's not a typo._

Tweek felt his mouth both simultaneously go dry and salivate. Like all the saliva at the back of his throat had shriveled itself into just enzymes while the spit at the front of his mouth had pooled around the tip of his tongue to try and peak out of his open lips to catch a glimpse of the walking roman statue.

This was a freak of nature.

There's no way that someone could look so chiseled and yet so effortless at the same time. He doesn't even look like a real teenager, he looked more like he should be playing one on TV. The 'v' branded hips just barely showing over the tops of his swim trunks made the little feeling in Tweek's stomach go from a small stomach flutter to a clenching spasm. It was times like this that Tweek remembered-or at least tried to-that Craig is a human with a beating heart and feelings and **_rippling abs and arms made of meaty bronze._**

Tweek's body convulsed into shivers and goosebumps at the unneeded reminder. He felt hot and cold and completely sick. He shouldn't have eaten whatever he must have eaten to have done this to his poor festering body. There was a cheese platter at this god forsaken carwash, and even if it wasn't the culprit, it was the culprit. And despite the annoyance he had with everyone that had been saying it earlier, it was true.

Craig is coming right this way.

Maybe a little too close this way.

_Is he walking towards me?_

Tweek watched with a stupefied stare as Craig came right up to him, there was no way this shirtless and absolutely ripped male was making eye contact with him right now. But in actuality it was possible and quite improbable for it not to happen because Tweek is the only person that Craig knows at this whole function.

"Hey babe." Craig said with a cocky grin. 

The words being almost enough for Tweek to faint right here and right now.

Craig was standing barely a foot away from him and looking at him with those joking eyes, the stare only making his stomach bug worse. A quick glance around and Tweek saw all the girls had vanished off to some unknown location and he was completely alone with Craig. Maybe it was a mirage that they had all disappeared and he was left alone with these hot pieces of-

"Are you okay?" Craig quirked a brow at the strange face on his tutor. "You're face is red and..." His hand lifted to swipe at Tweek's chin, the small touch doing wonders to Tweek's body and nerves. "You're... drooling?"

Tweek really wished he would have been a less weak person in this moment and do his usual quip back or dismissal of this situation, but he couldn't. The mixture of the abs, getting called babe, and the touching of the face was too much at once. His stomach was roaring with lions where butterflies once flew, so Tweek just let his mouth explain his behavior the best it could.

"I-I'm lactose intolerant."

Craig furrowed his brows in confusion " _What_?"

"Sorry." The harsh tone of the what knocking Tweek out of his daze and back into reality. He covered his eyes with his hands and shook his head. "What I meant is 'I'm fine'."

Craig looked at the hands on Tweek's face and frowned. "Why are you covering your eyes?"

"If I don't look I'm safe." Tweek said back quickly.

Craig was tempted to try and pry the hands from Tweek's face, but decided against it due to the odd behavior. "Safe from what?"

"Uh... the sun!" Tweek then gave a nervous laugh. "I'm safe from the sun's harsh rays hurting my vision."

Craig laughed at his tutor. "There's this cool invention called sunglasses."

"I can still see through sunglasses." Tweek said, letting his eyes peak through the cracks between his fingers. Eyeing the abdomen causing all of this frustration. " _Beautiful pieces of art._ "

Craig raised an eyebrow. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing!" Tweek then turned around to walk off. "I have to go do... something!"

Craig watched as Tweek disappeared and gave a wave as he left. "See you around... I guess."

Tweek hid within the school, pretending to grab more buckets from the classroom they were keeping all the supplies in.

In reality he was just trying to keep himself from acting like more of a fool in front of Craig. He was completely embarrassed by the interaction that had just happened and wanted to keep more from happening.

Maybe he could just hide in here the whole time?

No, not coming to a fundraiser for a prom idea that you thought of doesn't look good.

Maybe he could sprain his ankle and fault it on soap?

No. He would have made an appearance and would get to get away from Craig, but he would have to have crutches for however long.

Maybe he could just dodge him the whole time?

That doesn't seem to have any repercussions and it couldn't be so hard to do, especially with the girls that had been previously fawning over him. Although, they did disappear off to some unknown location.

"You're Tweek, _right?_ "

Tweek turned around and found the owner of this deep and faux melancholy voice. A black and red haired male, he was wearing a completely black outfit. If Tweek was recalling correctly, his name was Pete Something Something and he was one of the goth kids.

"Uh..." Tweek gave a look around for any witnesses before he was used as a sacrifice for a cult ritual. "Yes... Why?"

Pete took a step forward with a hair flip. "Just want you to know that I'm about to totally steal your man."

"I'm sorry." Tweek raised an eyebrow, unsure of who could be his mystery man. "I think you're confused. I'm not dating anyone." Pete stepped forward and grabbed a few of his own supplies as Tweek said this. "And I didn't realize you were on Student Council."

"I'm not." Pete flopped his hair back again. "I just came here because I saw Craig was working the carwash and I wanna seduce him." He then grabbed a bottle of soap and dumped its contents into his bucket. "Plus I used a tantalization spell, so it's gonna work."

Tweek's mouth opened to speak and say anything in response to this, but couldn't. There were so many levels to what Pete was saying that he wanted to unpack, but they would be here all day going over it all. Instead he just muttered the only concievable word available to him at the moment. "What?"

"Listen, Normie." Pete then picked up his bucket full of supplies. "I may not conform often, but I'll conform for that dick."

Pete left and Tweek was once again a mess of a human all caused by Craig. " _What the fuck?_ "

Token smiled to himself as he walked out of the bathroom and out onto the parking lot. Some of the ladies he passed by giving him a flirtatious eye as he strutted. The looks putting the icing on top of today's plans. He's been doing a two-week ab shred to try and get some much desired definition for this very occasion. All he wanted for today was to impress Tweek with the abs he had worked on. He had once heard Tweek go on a tangent about Taylor Launter's abs for an hour, so he thought it was more than fair to say that Tweek was an ab guy.

So that's exactly what he will be giving his friend.

"Hey, Tweek." Token said in his most macho tone possible, standing with hands on his hips and his stance wide. He looked at Tweek from behind with a smile. The silhouette of the blonde's frame pleased him in more ways than one. Tweek was a perfect person in all aspects, he was smart, polite (at times), a model citizen, nicely shaped and-at the top of the list-good looking.

As much as Token liked looking at the back of Tweek, he was unsure as to why his friend hadn't turned around at his call nor responded. "Uh Tweek?"

He took a few steps forward and tilted his head to look at a dazed face Tweek was wearing, his eyes were glazed with something Token had never seen from the his friend. His mouth gently parting, then closing in a monotonous pattern of soundless mumbles. The motion reminding him of a panting animal.

Token's eyes followed the trail from Tweek's eyes all the way to Craig.

The delinquent was shirtless, completely drenched, bent over the hood of a car sponging off the dirt on the car. He looked for the most part miserable and bored, but Tweek was downright hypnotized by the sight. The very obvious reason that was rippling over Craig's stomach made Token growl in frustration.

" _Of course._ " Token groaned to himself. "I came too late."

Tweek blinked his eyes back to attention and turned to Token, the words being said next to him awakening him from his trance. "Huh?"

"Nothing, just give me a bucket and a sponge." Token grumbled out.

Tweek gave the asked for goods with a smile. "When did you decide you wanted to be a washer?"

"Well, I was doing it for someone." Token then pulled the sponge out of his bucket with a harsh squeeze, his anger being suppressed into the small soaker and all the water pushing out in submission. "But then they decided they much rather go for someone else."

Tweek frowned, a sudden understanding flashing past his eyes. "Oh, _Token_." He put a kind hand on Token's arm, the hand making Token's face feel hot. Tweek's eyes looking up at him with a real sympathy that made the lovestruck boy's heart beat faster.

_Was this it?_

"Sorry your parents decided to go to a real carwash."

And all those minuscule feelings of love vanished in a cry of laugher, mocking him and his feelings for thinking that Tweek would understand.

Token frowned and swiped off the hand in a dismissive manner. "It's fine."

"Oh..." Tweek watched as Token turned around and trudged off to one of the cars in line, feeling hurt by the interaction. Had he said something wrong? Maybe he had gotten into an argument with his parents recently and was feeling hostile. 

Craig gave a quick look at Token and saw he had the line for the most part handled. Well as handled as Token could have something with such a sour face and mood. Craig let the weird mood Token was in roll off his shoulders and out of his mind as he dropped his sponge into his bucket. Doing a tiptoe over to Tweek.

Seeing Tweek at his table setting the sponges that were clean or dirty into different piles made Craig smile.

It was a simple activity to see Tweek doing. Usually his face was hard in thought on different methods to help Craig with his homework or it was soft with care as he explained a problem to Craig. (On one of those special days he got to see a silly Tweek or an angry Tweek) So getting to see the small barely present smile on Tweek's face as he placed down sponges was quite the sight.

"Having fun?" Craig questioned as he came up to the table, giving a small knock of the knuckles on the table as he asked.

Tweek nodded, he was stuck in thought the same way he gets when he's doing his work. The only verbal response to the answer being an affirmative hum.

"Working hard there?" Craig said with a smile, the tranced state of organizing was sure to come to an end soon as Tweek came to his last couple sponges.

Tweek nodded again. Grabbing the last dirty sponge and placing it on top of the pile of other muddy looking sponges. Once that one was placed and done with, he looked up with a dreamy eyed state.

His eyes widening and face burning as he saw that the person talking to him was Craig. His hands tightening and lips thinning out into an awkward frown, cursing the cheese platter yet again as he felt his stomach flip.

"Oh hey!" Tweek then swallowed the feeling down and did his best smile, putting up finger guns to say a country accented. "How's it shooting, Rex?" Another curse sounding in his head as he thought about the words that had just left his mouth. Tweek more than wanting to choke a pillow with his own face on it in the moment.

Craig gave a small laugh at the weird phrase, cocking a brow at his tutor. "Pretty okay." He then leaned forward, letting his hands support him on the table while he got friendly. "How about you, Cowboy?"

" _Oh dear sweet baby Jesus_." Tweek uttered as he looked at Craig's abs in a complete window display in front of him. His toned arms making the perfect curtains to the sight of a rippling stomach.

Craig furrowed his brows and lost his smile. " _What?_ "

"Gah!" Tweek's hands then went to his hair then relaxed down to cover his embarrassed face. His hands then falling to clasp each other while he looked up at the cloudless sky. "I meant dear Jesus, thank you for the bread we have been given today. _Amen_ " He then smiled at Craig, his smile translating more as a wince than a smile. "Have I ever told you how little I pray."

Craig furrowed his brows at the train wreck of the scene. "Yes... because you said you were a Buddhist."

Tweek stiffened before he nodded, partly speechless by the fact Craig remembered and partly speechless by the fact he didn't. "And _that's_ exactly why."

"I know you said you were lactose intolerant earlier," Craig moved his head forward, lowering his voice as he asked. "But are you okay?"

Tweek looked at the new lack of space between their faces and quickly pulled back, almost falling backwards as he did. "Ah! Yeah! Fine!" He took a couple steps backwards as he continued to speak. "I just need to go to the bathroom is all." He smiled. "Yeah, gonna go now."

"Oh...okay. I'll come with you." Craig then started to follow after him. "I have to go too."

Tweek thought about the idea of using a urinal and Craig trying to use one, it shouldn't turn into a fantasy about penises, but it did. His face flushed with color as he came to a skidding stop, forgetting the fact that Craig is a guy that can go in the restroom as easily as Tweek can go in the restroom. "No!"

"What?" Craig asked, his brows furrowing in concern for the blonde. "What's wrong?"

Tweek backed up from him again. "I peed myself, I don't have to go anymore!" He then pointed to a random direction furthest away from the bathroom. "I'm gonna go do that thing over there! Have fun!"

Craig watched Tweek sprint off with an open and shocked mouth. " _He peed himself?"_

Tweek stood at his post watching as Pete stood across the parking lot doing a pretty intense stare down of Craig. The strange stare took his mind off the awkward moment that had occurred with Craig not more than twenty minutes ago.

Also feeling relieved about the influx of cars coming into the parking lot to keep his mind off of his student. All of the cars were teens seeming to be there for the purpose of having Craig scrub down their vehicles. A few of them even taking an interest in Token washing their cars for them which was an interesting sight to say the least. An older woman tried to tip Token for his service and obviously hoping for more from him, all of which he politely declined.

But even with that moment, Tweek couldn't take his eyes off Pete.

He was fully clothed and washing his own car with the supplies he had taken. He stood completely still except for his single hand moving over the roof of the car in a monotonous circle motion. His eyes dead centered on Craig's, butt and (when turned towards him) groin as he washed the car.

Tweek wanted to laugh at the sight, but didn't want to chance himself getting hexed by any of the spirits that Pete must have associated himself with. He didn't know if these spells or spirits were real, so it's good to assume they are than get cursed because you didn't assume. It's a worrying thought that it could be real.

In particular the thought of Pete and Craig getting it on. Who knows what Pete will do with him. Tweek had once heard rumors of the goth kids sacrificing a live chicken in the name of Satan. What's stopping them from engaging in intercourse with Craig then sacrificing him?

Also the idea of the two together sounded worse than stubbing a toe to Tweek, but that's not important.

"Yoohoo!" A seductive, but high-pitched voice yelled from a different end of the parking lot.

Tweek looked over and immediately felt his mouth drop, not prepared for the next hoard of Craig followers. " _Are you kidding me?_ "

All of the previously missing student council girls had all been found, except now they are all scantily clad. Their only coverings being triangle shaped two-pieces and tight one-pieces. Each one of the newly semi-nude girls seeming to have their eyes solely fixated on Craig. This fixation making it very obvious to Tweek why the girls had left and why they have returned in different outfits.

Tweek watched with a shocked stare as the most of the girls started to cluster to the single car that Craig was washing. Surprisingly, a good portion of them took notice of Token and decided to swing themselves that way. Although Tweek couldn't take his eyes from the group latching themselves onto Craig.

They knew he had a girlfriend right? Tweek thought everyone knew that. No, he knows for a fact that they knew that. Just because he's shirtless he's suddenly worth infidelity?

Tweek frowned at the scene, but caught sight of the car that passed by the group of girls then reversed to get a carwash. Letting a smile slip as he watched a couple more cars follow the same process and get in line. Even though they shouldn't be going after him because he has a girlfriend, Tweek does have to admit that this is probably the only way the prom will get funding at this point. 

Tweek found himself suddenly doing work as an onslaught of cars started coming through and actually needing to be washed. He was running around the parking lot dispersing new sponges and new soapy buckets of water. Well dispersing stuff to everyone, but Craig.

Getting sidetracked by a set of glorious pecs and abs definitely wasn't on the agenda today, especially when the set of pecs and abs are connected to Craig of all people.

But it does get hard when the set of previously mentioned glorious abs tries to talk to you.

Tweek was setting up new buckets of soapy water when Craig came up to the table with a smile that looked genuinely happy to see Tweek. "Hey."

Tweek felt his heart beat quicken and his stomach turn at the smile, cursing himself and his stupid libido that thought abs meant 'breeding time'. He didn't think he could remain as a sentient human if he continued to stare at the male in front of him so he turned his head to the side. "Hi."

Craig furrowed his brows at the blatant refusal to look and him and said. "I need a new sponge. Mine broke."

"Okay." Tweek responded easy enough, even giving a peppy nod with the answer.

Then he realized that without his sight he would have to use his hands to pat around the table. Having surprising difficulty in finding one with this tactic that seemed like it should be working better. Tweek felt the pressing stare of Craig as he fumbled around the table for anything that related to a sponge in the slightest. He gave a nervous laugh as he continued to pat around. "Any minute now."

"It might be easier if you look at what you're doing." Craig said with a single raised brow, not that Tweek could see that.

Tweek gave a shrug as he finally landed on something that felt like a sponge. "Who needs to look at what they're doing." He then raised his hand up to offer the sponge.

"You do." Craig then pushed the hand away. "That's a clump of hair."

Tweek looked at the hand and saw that it was in fact a clump of hair. "Oh. _You're right_." More confused about the fact there is a random clump of hair on the table than embarrassed about the fact he just tried to hand Craig a clump of hair. "Why is this here?"

"Tweek." Craig said in a voice that cut through the air more than his usual tone did. It was authoritative and made Tweek's knees weak.

Tweek looked towards him because of the commanding tone and felt his throat go dry. It was suddenly hard to swallow, and think, and breath, and exist. His eyes accidentally dropping down to those gracefully sculpted pieces of heaven, the god traced slopes and dips of Craig's body making Tweek murmur a weak. " _Sweet Jesus._ "

"My sponge?"

Tweek looked up with a blurry stare, having gone slightly cross eyed from staring so intensely at Craig's six pack. Blinking a few times to regain his vision. "Huh?"

"I said, 'my sponge'." Craig furrowed his brows at his tutor. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." Tweek then dropped to the ground and looked at the concrete that had a few sponges on it, picking up the best one out of the bunch. These few seconds of interaction were proof he couldn't handle Craig right now, so it's better for him to not look. Hiding was better suited for this situation anyways. He then held up the sponge from the floor. "Here."

Craig looked at the single hand popping up from behind the table and just shook his head in disbelief, taking the sponge with a gaping mouth. "Tweek, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Organizing!... _Rocks._ " Tweek then used his hand to shoo off Craig. "Now... go do your job."

Craig stared at the tiny tufts of gold sticking out from behind the counter in confusion, only walking away because he heard the beeping of a car that was most certainly asking for him.

Once Craig was gone, Tweek came back up from underneath the table.

What was the point in trying not to look at him if he was going to make a fool of himself anyways?

"Ugh." Tweek let his forehead rest on the table. "What is wrong with me?"

Is this really his fate if a male has abs? Is he really boiled down to nothing but a ball of lust at the end of the day? Is he so completely untouched that he just unravels into a string of a person because of a nice body? If so he might as well skip college and just go to the perfect line of work for that.

_Maybe I need to get laid._

A loud slam on the sponge table knocked him out of his thoughts and straight up. He looked at the slammer of hands and saw none other than Ms. Testaburger. The teen dawning a revealing two-piece suit that showed off way more than Tweek wanted to see. She must have been among the crowd that changed their garments for Craig.

"Need a bucket and a sponge. _Hurry_." Wendy said with an obvious distaste towards the blonde.

Tweek rolled his eyes at the rudeness, but proceeded to grab the asked for supplies. "Queen of Kindness"

"As always."

Tweek glared his eyes at his task. Purposefully giving her the crappy sponge that was on the verge of ripping into two pieces. It wasn't a big deal, but just enough to inconvenience her. He set the bucket and the sponge on the table with a small glare. "Enjoy washing."

"Also sorry in advance." Wendy said with non-sorry pout.

Tweek furrowed a brow. "Excuse me?"

"About Craig." Wendy flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked towards the pre-mentioned male with a sultry smirk. "Gonna snatch him from you."

Tweek let a scoffing laugh press through his lips. The idea that Wendy think's Craig wants anything to do with her being funny on its own, but the fact that for the second time today- _but the third time this week_ -someone thought Craig and him were together.

"You can try and act dumb about it." Wendy leaned over the table and said with a low voice. "But I see how you look at him." She then pulled back and gave a sharp brow to Tweek. "It's kinda sad how hopeless you look around him."

Tweek let his brows furrow, knowing that this information must have only been coming from today and his special problem with Craig. "Well it's sad that you think any of that is true." He then gave a polite smile. "And guess what, Wendy?"

"Hm?"

Tweek gave a fake smile. "He has a girlfriend."

"Do you think he gets the award for loyalty?" Wendy said with a sweet tone.

Tweek hadn't thought of that.

Not that it mattered...

But has Craig been with people while they were having this fake relationship that only included his hand?

_Doesn't matter, Tweek_

"Do you have a reason for still being here?" Tweek said out, done with conversation and just wanting to have her leave.

Wendy gave a smile. "I guess not." She then picked up her bucket with a cutesy smile. "Was just trying to talk to an old friend." Her eyes then locked with Tweek and she dropped her smile, leaning in too close to whisper. "And I don't think he likes _clingy_ people either."

She pulled back with a sad pout, showing the sympathy she had for Tweek and his 'tendencies'. She then left with a graceful wave and a wink.

Tweek clenched his jaw.

_That one hurt._

He took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Doesn't matter." Tweek said to himself, grabbing a sponge and squeezing it repeatedly like a stress ball. "She's just a bitch and she's just doing what bitches do." He looked at the sponge in his hand and quickly released it. "I'm _not_ clingy."

Craig gave a quick stretch and looked over at Tweek.

His tutor was buzzing around giving the stations their needs. Tweek reminded Craig of a humming bird at times with the way he would bounce around from task to task. Each one being completed in a swift movement or thought, it was almost hypnotizing just watching him ping ball from place to place.

"Craig?" A girl questioned.

Craig turned his sights towards the fellow teen. "Hm?"

"You're just standing there." She then frowned. "Looking at that one guy."

"Oh...Sorry." Craig dropped his sponge into the bucket absentmindedly, starting his way to the mentioned male. Not caring about the girl's questions and protests as he walked. "I'm gonna take a break."

He then started to hone in on his tutor, hoping to catch him in the moment of downtime he got between giving drying rags to the drying station and filling up buckets of water for the soak station. Tweek was bent over at the hose. He was having trouble turning it on, cursing at the thing as he tried to maneuver his hand to make it work.

"Stupid hose." Tweek let go of the turner and gave a shake of the hand. "I'm gonna have freaking callouses from this."

Craig smiled at Tweek and took a few steps to appear behind the struggling male, leaning over his bent figure with a smile. "Having trouble?"

Tweek went to snap up from his bend over and turn towards the voice simultaneously, but Craig's head was on the same trajectory as Tweek and the two noggins banged right into each other.

"Gah!"

"Shit!"

The two recoiled away from one another, holding the points of contact in a small amount of pain. Craig letting his hand cup at his jaw where Tweek's forehead had knocked at and Tweek putting both of his hands on the stinging pain.

" _Ow_." Tweek murmured in a silent ache to himself, then his eyes caught the other male's and immediately stiffened. "Craig!"

Craig gave a wince, smiling feeling a little uncomfortable because of the new pain in his jaw. "Yeah, _hi_."

Despite the need to run away from Craig and his meddling abs, Tweek stayed with him. Actually making the couple steps to close the gap between them and reaching out for Craig's jaw. His hand's taking the male's face into his hands and tilting the head back to further access the damage done.

"Are you okay?" Tweek brushed his thumb over the small dark mark forming at the sharpest part of Craig's jawline. "That's was a pretty bad bump."

Craig's hands came up to cup Tweek's elbows, laughing at the sudden amount of attention and care he was receiving. "I'm fine, it's no big deal."

"Are you sure? There's already a bruise." Tweek's frown deepened on his face as he looked at the darkening mark. He gave a quick look around for a spare rag that wasn't dirty, his hands still cradling the face with an urgency. "Oh it looks really bad. Sorry! I can get you a wet towel and-"

" _Tweek._ " Craig let go of Tweek's elbows to hold his wrists instead, pulling the soft hands away from his face and looking down at Tweek with he best smile he could manage. "I'm fine... _really._ "

Tweek dragged his eyes from the mark and looked up at the eyes in front of him, his mouth drying up as he muttered a quiet. "If you say so."

Then they were still.

And reality set in.

More like Tweek's eyes dropping to the space between them to look at Craig's abs, set in.

Tweek's felt his stomach flutter at the sight and his body give a shiver; the seemingly innocent flutter starting to tickle his throat in a devious way. This meaning Tweek has overstayed his welcome in Craig's vicinity and he must be leaving as soon as possible.

"Welp!" Tweek then pulled his wrists away from Craig and took a good step back. Giving a peppy smile as he went to walk past Craig to the rag area, even though he didn't get the hose to work and still needed to get water for people who were supposed to be dampening the cars. "Back to work! Gotta keep-"

"Wait." Craig's hand reached across Tweek's torso and halted him, the large hand wrapping around the opposite side of the waist. Quickly using the leverage to pull Tweek back in front of him.

Tweek felt his heart begin to slam against his chest. The organ telling the other parts of his body that it needed more blood because the blonde is feeling flustered and everyone who didn't know that by looking at him, _should._

Tweek gulped. "What is it?" 

Craig narrowed his eyes as he stared down at the usually spunky tutor, unsure of what has happened to have him act so different or what he supposes could be... _shy?_

Maybe he had a bad interaction with Wendy, Craig knows he's had one. Yet an interaction with Wendy wouldn't leaving him all flustered and red like this.

Maybe he had a strange interaction with Token? The thought was quickly pushed down as he thought of the herds of girls that were-and still are-on him.

It just didn't make sense to have Tweek be dodging him and day and be acting so weird when they are together. He remembers him saying he was lactose intolerant, but there's no way that he's acting like this because of a dairy allergy.

"Are you avoiding me?"

Tweek's eyes widened as the question settled in his mind like a stone in a pond. He had been caught. He looked away from the male, gazing off the the side of Craig's shoulder and at Pete who was giving him a death glare. The look giving him an even better reason to get out of this interaction. Tweek shook his head, keeping his eyes away from Craig while saying a polite and quiet. "No."

"Alright," Craig furrowed a brow, Tweek was all about eye-contact so him dodging it didn't sit right with him. "Wanna try looking me in the eye when you say that?"

Tweek shook his head again, muttering another weak. "No."

"Tweek, come on." Craig let go of Tweek's side to cross his arms. "You had me volunteer at this thing for you and you've completely avoided me."

Tweek swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at Craig with his bravest stare. Earnestly feeling bad about the fact he had been ditching the guy who had made this carwash what it is, especially since all he wanted was to talk for a couple minutes.

" _Craig_ , I didn't realize you were taking it personally." Tweek took a step forward and tilted his head up as he said an honest. "I'm sorry. We can talk now if you want." He then placed his hands on the crossed arms to try and show his honest apologies, but the feelings fell short as he felt the strong forearms that were flexing underneath his palms. Tweek didn't know how muscles got on a forearm, but _fuck_ were they there. Tweek felt his breath leave him as he voiced out the amazement, his eyes dropping to the arms in front of him. " _Oh wow._ "

Craig looked down at Tweek while he squeezed at his crossed arms. "Uh... What are you doing?"

Tweek immediately took his hands off the arm at the question. "Nothing! Just checking for a sun burn! You're all good!" He then flicked away like a flea in a fire, quick to get away before Craig's arms stop him. "Gotta go for real now!"

"Tweek, wait! You just said we could talk!" Craig called out much too late and much too unreachable at this point, all he could do was watch as Tweek scurried away for the third time today.

He sighed then tilted his head back to groan to the heavens. "What is up with him today?"

The heavens answering back.

"Maybe if you put on a shirt on he wouldn't care so much." Token muttered as he walked past Craig to get a bucket of water that he had been waiting on Tweek for.

Craig was about to open up his mouth to tell Romeo to, more than (im)politely, be quiet about the matter that didn't involve him, but stopped.

He had a point.

Tweek was completely fine with him earlier before the carwash started, before he took his shirt off and got doused in water. He had been talking to him earlier without a red face, without a stutter to his thoughts and without the aversion of eye contact. It all made sense, but also none at all. Why would he care?

Tweek is... Tweek.

He knows every mathematical equation that the SAT and ACT would ask for, he could name all the parts of a cell, he could do a complete reenactment of the first and second world was and he's a human dictionary.

Well, he is only human.

Humans find other humans attractive.

In particular humans can find humans without their shirt on attractive.

Which meant Tweek could find Craig attractive without his shirt on... but there's only one way to test that theory. 

The sun was setting and cars were still coming and going.

The carwash had met a higher quota than anyone thought it would have and the prom definitely was getting a green light to go. They might even end up with enough to fix some things around the school with the extra hours they are using now.

Craig pulled on his shirt in the bathroom. Giving a quick shake of the head in the mirror to try and get the remaining bits of water out of his hair. The front pieces of his hair that usually hung around his forehead coming down to hang wet in front of his eyes.

He walked out of the bathroom and gave a look around look for the blonde. Finding him with a large bucket collecting all the scattered sponges that been left for dust by their owners. Walking up to him and contemplating how Tweek would react to him now that he was covered and dry.

"Need help?"

Tweek turned around and seemed to stiffen, his eyes reminding Craig's of a deer's when they were about to be hit by oncoming traffic. Then a quick travel to his stomach made the eyes shrink, resizing to their usual wideness. A look of relief washing over Tweek in a sigh. Craig could see the stress physically leaving his body. After his moment of de-stressing, Tweek tilted his head to ask. "You're not gonna wash anymore?"

"I've had enough of soap and water for one day." Craig said, taking a cautionary step forward to Tweek. Watching for any reaction.

Tweek gave a small laugh, not minding the step. "You have your showers done for the whole week."

"I guess you could say that." Craig took another step towards Tweek, searching his face for any hints of a problem or reluctance. "But if I'm being honest, I have a different reason for stopping."

Tweek tilted his head again, the only difference being his furrowed brow. "And what's that?" 

Craig took that final step into Tweek's space, looking down at the curious face and seeing none of the other flustered traits he had earlier today. His eyes going over each inch of his tutor's face in a further effort to make sure his theory was correct.

Taking in how Tweek had a nice face as he did. Not that he originally thought Tweek had a bad face, but now that he was getting the chance to take in the big eyes and sloped nose, he appreciated it.

Tweek just stared back, looking between Craig's eyes waiting for the answer that didn't seem like it was coming.

Craig smirked to himself as he finished his analysis of Tweek, his head tilting with the smug look. "I was wondering if your lactose intolerance would feel better if I put my shirt on."

Tweek's face fell in horror as the words hit him. His face flushing full of color and guilt, he was being convicted of the very crime he had committed. And here he was thinking he had gotten away with it.

"Yeah, I was wondering what was going on." Craig laughed and ruffled Tweek's hair. "But now I get it."

Tweek started to defend himself, turning his guilty face away from Craig and crossing his arms. "You get what? There's nothing to get."

"Really?" Craig let a laugh rumble out, the air from it hitting Tweek's neck and bringing back some feelings from when Craig had no shirt. "Well if you ask me, I think you have a problem with me and my shirt being off."

Tweek scoffed and turned around. He wasn't wrong, but he wasn't about to let him be right. "Well, if you ask me, I think I just have a Pete problem."

Craig furrowed his brows with a smile. "A Pete problem?"

"Oh yeah, the more I talk to you the more likely I am to get hexed." Tweek said with his infamous smile of a bitten lip to hide his emotion.

Craig shook his head, his smile growing. "Haha, no way."

"No, I'm serious." Tweek then glanced over Craig's shoulder to see Pete staring at them. "He told me he casted a spell and everything for you guys to smash."

Craig gave a brief look over his shoulder to the goth male behind him. "Please just admit it, Tweek. Your lying."

"No for real!" Tweek then pushed at Craig's chest. "Out of all the things I've lied about today, him putting a spell on you and probably me is real!"

" _What_?" Craig's brows furrowed at the sudden truth of Tweek's deceit. "You didn't actually pee yourself earlier? And you don't organize rocks?!"

Tweek laughed and started to walk towards his table to set down these discarded sponges. Craig following and stealing the bucket from Tweek's hands just to carry on their short walk to the table. "I'm afraid not, Craig."

"I can't believe you would _lie_ to your fake boyfriend of almost two months." Craig said with a fake hurt face and tone, his brows drawn in dismay at the betrayal of his babe. 

Tweek let out another laugh and elbowed Craig, sharpening his brow at the male as he said. "Says the person who's been _flocked_ over for the past eight hours."

"Jealous much?" Craig said, setting the bucket of sponges on the table as they arrived. 

"You wish." Tweek shook his head at Craig, looking into the bucket and seeing that all of the washing devices had been stained by the dirt and grime of the ground. "Hand me the hose?"

Craig picked up the running tube of water on the ground and passed it to Tweek, making sure to aim the stream away from the dry blonde just to be extra courteous. Bumping shoulders with Tweek as he came back, their bare arms grazing and mingling the goosebumps they shared. "Here."

"Thank you." Tweek took the hose and stuck it into the bucket. "Now they rinse."

Craig watched the bucket fill up with a smile. "I see you've been hard at work."

"Oh screw you." Tweek laughed, turning towards Craig with his hands on his hips. "Those buckets get pretty heavy." 

Craig hummed in agreement. "Oh yeah." He took a step forward and reached out for Tweek's arms, looking at the wrists up to the upper arms. "I bet everything feels heavy with _these_."

"Oh no you didn't." Tweek pulled out the hose and gave Craig a quick squirt of the ice water, the whip of water hitting against the side of Craig's face. His mouth dropping in shock of the cold and in shock of the further deceit going on with Tweek today. 

Craig slowly turned towards his tutor. "Did you just spray me?"

"You couldn't tell?" Tweek said with a beaming smile that was edging on devious. "Let me do again." His hands moving quick to reach for the hose and point it at Craig, but the noirette moved much faster with the fuel of a cold face and half wet hair. 

"Like hell you are." Craig gripped the hose over Tweek's hands. Taking the nozzle into his overpowering hands despite the pair of small hands beneath them. Smirking to himself as he looked at Tweek. "Now you're gonna get it." 

Tweek saw the look in Craig's eyes as he started to turn the hose towards the tutor, taking the look as a warning to run away from the male. Quickly getting away from Craig as he tried to spray him, letting out a small squeal comparable to the ones that the girls had been making earlier when Craig had just come out shirtless. 

As Tweek ran around the table, Craig stayed hot on his tail, circling the same route the blonde was taking to avoid him. The pipeline of water wrapping around the table's legs as they chased one another and quickly losing slack to go after Tweek with. Tweek letting out small pleas and threats of 'don't spray me' and 'I'll make sure you get a F if you do' as he was gone after. 

Craig didn't care about the calls and only trucked forward, putting his thumb over the nozzle and making the stream come out as more of a shot than a stream. Aiming the line of water towards Tweek and shooting it at the dry back of his orange shirt. 

"Craig!" Tweek shouted as the cold water hit against him, freezing up at the feeling of pure ice running down his previous sun warmed back. "Holy shit that's cold!"

Craig took his opportunity to further attack the blonde and dropped the hose. Craig running up behind Tweek to wrap his arms around his middle and pull him towards the thrown away water whip. "Now you're really gonna get cold!"

"Wha-No! Craig, wait!" Tweek pleaded, his head flinging back as laughter poured out of him. Just the feeling of Craig's arms around his middle made him feel ticklish and bubbly all over. 

" _Unbelievable_." Wendy scoffed to herself. 

Token came up next to her, not acknowledging her presence. " _Unacceptable_."

Wendy side-eyed the male next to her giving a whip of her hair as she looked forward again. Her eyes glaring at the scene in front of her as she saw the happy faces of people that definitely weren't supposed to be happy together. "Completely." 

"It shouldn't stand." Token uttered out after he saw tears begin to brim at Tweek's eyes from laughing, the sight making his gut curl in a splendid array of upsetting emotions. 

Wendy gave a huff of air in agreement. "Obviously."

The two stood there for another second, fuming while watching two carelessly happy people mess around. 

"Not that I'm saying we agree on anything." Token started, crossing his arms as he looked at Wendy through the corner of his eye. Wendy's eyes also looking his way, but her head not turning to look at her ex. "But as a student council member it is apart of our best judgments to make sure no tomfoolery is going on." He then turned his sight back ahead of them. "Especially during an important fundraiser."

Wendy's lips twitched up as she looked to where Mrs. Clarkson was, the teacher just watching as students dried a car. "I couldn't agree more."

"Ah! Craig!" Tweek kicked his legs in the air as Craig held him close. "I'm actually going to pee my pants if you don't put me down!" 

Craig laughed at the plea and let his fingers tangle in Tweek's shirt. "I've been lied to before." 

"Boys!" A sharp voice shouted, cutting through the bubbles of fun and popping them with pure malice. 

The teens turned towards the teacher calling them, Tweek being the first to see the teacher and scramble away from Craig. Having to slap at the hand that didn't want to let go of him and his shirt in order to stand straight in front of the chaperone. 

Craig was ready to brush off the scolding that was about to come, but his eyes caught the scared look on Tweek's face. That look making Craig think about how Tweek doesn't get in trouble, as far as he knows, and how Tweek doesn't take authority talking down on him well. So he's sure that his tutor will not take this well. 

"Goofing off during this fundraiser will not stand!" Her gaze sharpened upon looking at Tweek. "You are the last person I would expect this from, Tweek." 

Craig watched as Tweek face contorted into hurt at the words. Craig feeling bad that he was one of the main factors of causing that face to grace the tutor's features. 

The chaperone then gave a disgruntled breath. "I wouldn't have cared if it hadn't become a problem for the other students, but a few approached me and told me about the ruckus you two have been causing." 

Craig and Tweek both having a name come to their head as they thought about who would complain about them, each of them having a different name of who would do this. 

She gave a look back to the last couple cars that were coming through the wash, pursing her lips at the sight before turning back to the teens. "You will remain behaved and well mannered for the rest of the time or you will both have Saturday detentions. Understood?"

Tweek nodded. "Of course. We're both sorry to have caused such a problem."

Craig looked at Tweek, despite his own primal instincts to tell the teacher to shove it up her ass, he went along with the apology. "Understood. Sorry."

"Good." 

Tweek watched as the teacher walked away and sighed, feeling a lot of things at once from a one minute interaction. Turning to Craig and letting out an exasperated breath. "Wendy so did this."

Craig was thinking more along the lines of Token, but agreed with that guess too. Frowning as he nodded with that answer. "One hundred percent."

" _That bitch._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again sorry this took five years and hope you liked this rollercoaster ride and didn't find it too discombobulated.   
> Did a drawing of the scene where creek are being little fools :)
> 
> https://rytherlover.tumblr.com/post/636114580480868352/a-drawing-from-thats-my-tutor-where-these-fools


	17. Trucky Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you count all the times I said smile? *In dora voice*

"Someone's late." Craig said to himself.

It's 3:13, Tweek and him usually started at 3:05.

He was leaned up against the wall with his hands in his pockets and foot against the fake brick, he was outside the student room waiting for Tweek to come with the keys.

The lock still doesn't work, but Tweek told him to stop just walking in just in case a teacher saw and figured out it was broken. Why that's a problem was then explained in a lengthy slide show of hand gestures and scared ranting from Tweek about him possibly getting a criminal charge for being involved with the destruction of property.

Craig didn't take much from the conversation except Tweek didn't want him to go into the room without him fake opening the door first.

It wasn't until five minutes later that Tweek was seen walking down the hallway towards Craig. The waiting male first noticed the smile Tweek had on his face. Quickly kicking himself off the wall and taking the few steps to meet Tweek.

"You're awfully chipper for being late." Craig remarked as he came to stand with Tweek.

Tweek let out a suppressed laugh and just shrugged. "Sorry. Impromptu student council meeting." He pulled out the keys from his bag, not bothering to make a show of the fake door opening, simply just opening the door with keys in hand. "I should have texted you. My bad."

Craig arched a brow as he watched Tweek bounce on his feet into the room, a happy frolic hidden in his steps. Closing the door behind him as he came in, asking. "Having a good time?"

Tweek sat down in his seat and nodded. "Today's been good."

"What's been good?" Craig questioned, taking his seat in front of Tweek.

Tweek's smile tried to grow while his teeth tried to keep that from happening, the created look being one of Tweek's infamous bitten smiles. "Well, I get to make submissions for posters for prom." He let a short giggle slip out. "And you know how I love crafts."

"That's it?" Craig watched Tweek's smile and eyes brighten a bit more at the prodding.

Tweek shrugged cheerfully. "Pretty much."

Craig nodded, not believing his tutor.

There was no way he was this happy over arts and crafts. He always jumped at any opportunity to paint or use his glitter pens, but he was never this joyous about the event. Craig frowned as his mind supplied an answer for the mysterious glee.

_Maybe he got asked out._

No way. Tweek didn't have anybody he was looking at.

Did he?

He would have told him, right?

Tweek tells Craig everything about his day (more like rants) during these sessions, going on about the different people he bumped into from the unexpected questions on his own unfathomable quizzes. He wouldn't hold out a good interaction for a potential love interest would he?

No, Tweek was too excited of a person to just keep that to himself, better yet keep the information that he has eyes for someone a secret either. This happiness must have come from something spontaneous that Craig hasn't heard about.

Maybe it was Token finally growing balls and confessing, but would Tweek really feel that way back?

Craig shivered off the thought and pressed again, not liking the growing theories in his head. The happy head sway Tweek had as he was pulling out his school supplies only deepening his suspicions. "I know you aren't this happy over some posters." Tweek did a quick glance up. "What's got you like this?" 

"Well... if you promise not to tell." Tweek stopped taking out his books and binders and turned his sight to Craig. "You can know."

The need that he had to promise secrecy made Craig's stomach clench.

What if Token and him were having a secret relationship?

Tweek couldn't date Token, he was a jerk. Tweek isn't a jerk. It just wouldn't work out between them and they would be wasting their time. How they're friends still baffles Craig, so he would only be more perplexed if they ended up dating.

Feeling rather desperate to know the answer Craig gave a nod. "I promise."

Tweek got up and brought his chair next to Craig's, looking at the doors window for any incoming people. Craig frowning as the thought that this relationship is so hidden that Tweek has to watch out for anyone who would dare spill the secret of its existence.

Tweek leaned forward to whisper into Craig's ear. "My parent's are coming home tonight." 

"Oh." Craig smiled, more than relieved to hear that Tweek wasn't dating Token and he was gonna get to see his parents. Even though their the ones who have been leaving him on his lonesome for the past month and before that who knows how long. But still plenty relieved that his parent's being home meant Craig could go to sleep an hour earlier and an hour easier. "That's awesome."

Tweek beamed at the equally happy energy that Craig was giving off, his smiling somehow growing. Giving a delighted laugh as he grabbed onto the sleeve of Craig's jacket, pulling the male's arm to him. "I know! I'm so excited! They said they'll probably be here late so I'm gonna pull an all-nighter until they get here! And I'm not coming to school so I could spend the whole day with them!" He let go of Craig and sighed, getting lost in thought about what he wanted to do with his mom and dad when they got here.

Then Tweek's demeanor calmed, his face relaxing into something more gentle and sweet. He looked down at his hands and played the long fingers against one another. "I just can't wait to hug them."

Craig smiled at that.

Tweek finally would have people in the house with him again, they would finally be there to look after him and make sure he isn't eating yet another frozen Lean Cuisine meal. Knowing him, Tweek will probably make a grand-sized meal in their honor and have it at the ready for when they walk in. Craig wanted to scold himself for being so happy about a fake vision of Tweek and his parents, but basked in it the thought anyway.

Craig reached out to ruffle Tweek's hair with a grin. "You're so corny." 

" _Jesus_." Craig hacked.

It had been a while since he's smoked, so his lungs did their best to push out the toxic fumes that he was currently trying to forced down. Taking a second chance at the stick, he brought it to his lips and inhaled. His lungs once again doing their job and repelling the exhaust from the cigarette.

He started himself into another coughing fit. Hitting on his chest to try and get out the tight feeling that resided there, leaning over his steering wheel as he wheezed. Finally getting rid of the deathly feeling in diaphragm as he gave a deep clean breath.

Craig hung his hand outside of the window and watched the filter of the Marlboro burn up and go into the air. Frowning at the fact he just wanted to take some 'me-time' to himself after a school day with one good smoke, but instead he has the nagging voice of Tweek in his head and the nagging feeling of hate in his lungs.

Thinking of Tweek, he wondered how his time with his parents is going.

He hadn't seen him at school anywhere today.

Usually his tutor waving at him on his way from gym to English got him through the mid-day lag because he remembered he got to go see him after school, but today he got no such wave. All he got was the usual herd of high school students that usually sheeped together. Although, Tweek's absence did give him an equally good feeling.

He was with his parents.

But what would give him another equally good feeling is a chance to get an actual good drag from his cigarette.

Craig raised the quickly dwindling white and orange stick up to his mouth and tried for the third time. The results being no different and his lungs being just as angry as they were the first time he tried to breath in the smoke.

Choking out a cough that let a small cloud puff out of his throat, his eyes watering from the ever-present burning sensation going on in his diaphragm.

Craig flicked the butt out the window, still coughing as he said to himself. "This isn't worth it."

He took off his seatbelt and grabbed his backpack. Deciding that even if Tweek wasn't here, he could still get some work done in the student room by himself. It might even get him a few brownie points that would let him screw off the next session. A session where they didn't have to do any homework, but were in the same vicinity sounded really nice.

Craig started his trek into school, walking against the grain of the final wave of students walking out of the education facility. Trying to think about what homework he had for tonight as he was directed varying flirtatious winks and smiles.

He knew he had history. He always had history because his teacher hates spare time and when people breathe, but it might just be a quick fill in the dates sheet.

Then he had a project for English that was due in a couple days. He started it with Tweek and it seemed easy enough to finish on his own, but he's also been played a fool by that mindset. There's been plenty of times when he looked at a math problem that Tweek had just fully explained and he said he understood and could do on his own, but ten minutes later he would just stare at it dumbfounded.

Did he have math?

No, Tweek and him finished his math packet for the week on Monday because of the English project that was due.

Craig stopped at the door to the student room and squinted as he thought about the seven pages of trigonometry in his backpack.

Did they finish the math packet?

" _Eh._ " Craig shrugged to himself as he opened the door to the student rooms.

Once he looked in the room he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened as he registered what he saw was Tweek in the room.

He was sitting at the table with his head in his arms. He was completely still. If Craig didn't know any better he would say Tweek was sleeping, but the twitches in his hunched shoulders told otherwise. Craig frowned, not sure if he was crying, but praying on everything that was holy he wasn't.

He did a small knock on the door to get Tweek's attention. Keeping his voice low as he said. "Hey."

Tweek's head snapped up from his arms, his eyes overly alert and under eyes overly relaxed, the drooping purple bags sticking out against the pale face. His eyes widened a fraction upon seeing Craig, quickly sniffling and wiping his nose with his sleeve. "Oh, hey." He gave a weak smile and sat up straight, his voice scratchy and coarse as he said. "You're late."

Craig stepped forward to his chair, his frown deepening in return. "And you're here."

Tweek nodded with as much energy as he could, his smile faltering as he let out a feeble. "Yep."

"So..." Craig's eyes traced Tweek over and over, he had been completely deflated compared to yesterday. His hair even looking upset, the flattened mane remind Craig of a sad dog. All his energy was gone and the dark area underneath his eyes was too telling of what happened. "So they never...?"

Tweek nodded, his smile becoming more strained by the minute. "Yeah... I... I waited all night and no show."

Craig's heart clenched at the answer to his question.

Tweek didn't deserve this, he should be able to see his parents. Out of all of the shitty people Tweek has in his repertoire, his parents shouldn't be apart one of them.

Craig wanted to voice this to his tutor, but he didn't know how or if he should.

What could he do?

He's never been in a situation where he's needed to comfort someone. For most of his life he didn't have friends and hung out with a man who's 30 years older than him and serves cheap beer. He learned how to please a woman and throw a punch from the guy, not how to deal with a person on the verge of tears because their parents are douches.

Maybe he should say he's sorry, but it's not like someone died. Maybe he could try and go the manly route and tell Tweek to toughen up? No, that's idiotic. This seems like a situation that could use kind words. He's had his fair share of 'nice' things said to him about his own parent problem, but nothing he thought would help at the moment. He wanted to help him, he wanted to do something for him, but couldn't.

Tweek stood up from his chair, thinking that his down mood must be making his student uncomfortable. "I'm gonna go home." Craig looked up to see dull eyes, the fire that usually brewed within the blonde having left. Tweek picked up his bag and walked past Craig towards the door. "Just text me any questions you have." Craig turned with Tweek as he passed him to go out the door.

Watching Tweek turn the door knob and try to leave sparked something within him. His mouth acting before his brain could.

"Wait!"

Tweek turned around with watery and expectant eyes, his fake smile having completely disappeared and leaving behind a pair of downturned lips. His brows drawn up in their own pain for the situation. The urgency of him needing to leave burning the inner corners of his eyes.

Craig didn't know why he called out nor what he could or should say, but he can't just let Tweek go like this. He had to do something. Tweek's sad face was staining the walls of his mind and it felt unjust to leave the graffiti untouched.

"Uh... I'm... you... I-I-" Craig tried to speak, but was so obviously failing. His voice giving out before he could try and say anything to Tweek, the words falling out as meaningless and fragmented.

Craig only got back the same sad stare from Tweek as he blabbered on, his mind scolding him further for not improving the sad state of his tutor.

_Fuck it._

And once again in a moment of him acting before his brain could, Craig reached out and pulled Tweek into him. Completely engulfing Tweek in a hug. His arms holding Tweek's head to his chest and body right against his. The tutor's arms stayed pressed between his chest and Craig's, the tight squeeze giving no room for moving his arms. Tweek stood stiff in the hug for a scary moment. One that made Craig start to regret this and think he was about to be scolded by the sad being, but after another second he felt Tweek crumble into him.

An exhale of a sob let Tweek's body melt into his. The initial tenseness leaving and letting the tutor's squished appendages try and grab onto Craig's shirt. Releasing another pained cry as Craig squeezed him tighter. Each of them losing themselves in the moment as they tried to keep each other closer than what was acceptable. Craig's head landed on top of Tweek's to further cradle him, his brows furrowing as he listened to Tweek's dying sobs.

Craig loosened his hold as Tweek's noises quieted down, giving him the option to stay close if he needed it, but also the option to leave the embrace. Silently hoping it would end soon because Craig's hands were just barely holding back the feeling to pet the saddened head of hair. Knowing that would probably be the thing to push it on the 'friendly and platonic' label that was on this hug.

Tweek let out a shaky breath and brought his head away from Craig just enough to let his nose poke at the chest. His eyes catching the dark wet spot left on the black shirt and furrowing his brows. One of his hands came up to try and rub away the moisture left behind, but it stayed in its place.

"Sorry about your shirt." Tweek murmured out after he realized that trying to get rid of the wet spot was futile.

Craig took a quick glance down at the mark and shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Tweek nodded silently, not wanting to look up at Craig. If he looked at him then he would have to let the fact he had cried in front of him and then cried on him dawn on him.

His breathing evened out with a couple deep breaths, bringing his hands up to wipe away any remaining moisture from his face. Doing an awkward drying of his slightly damp hands on the front of his shirt before he tried to talk with Craig. Tears on your hands was never a good look in conversation.

"Thanks." Tweek looked up and gave a more genuine smile. "I needed that."

Craig nodded and let his hands loosen further from Tweek, his palms cupping at the sides of his waist. "Seemed like it."

They stared at one another for a moment, wondering what the other was thinking. Varying levels of embarrassment running through their minds at what just happened.

"Alright." Tweek sniffed and straightened himself, Craig didn't seem like he wanted to be standing here all day with him. He took a step out from Craig and let the hands fall off of his sides. Realigning his bag over his chest and giving a wave to Craig. "I'll get out of your hair now."

Craig frowned as he saw Tweek try to leave for a second time today. It still felt wrong to let him go. Especially to an empty house where there's nothing, but constant reminders of how he got stood up.

"Hey." Craig said out as Tweek was once again reaching for the door knob. Tweek pausing his hand in mid-air and turning around to look at Craig. "Uh... There's this awesome doughnut place that I go to sometimes." Craig gave a few steps towards Tweek, cursing the warm feeling on his cheeks as he asked. "It's really good for a bad mood... wanna go?"

Tweek looked up at Craig with a smile before letting a small laugh slip through his lips. Craig Tucker was bashfully asking him if he wanted to get doughnuts after having seen him cry his eyes out.

"Sure." 

_This feels better._

Craig walked out of the shop with a pink box full of plain glazed doughnuts, looking ahead of him to the blonde sitting in his truck. Craig could only guess he was looking at tiktoks on his phone or reading something about how to get the prettiest looking cupcakes. Whatever he was doing, Craig was happy he was in the car. He hated the idea of Tweek being alone at any point for the rest of today, he wanted to fill as much time with him as he could.

He gave a knock on the window when he reached the car to have Tweek let him in.

Tweek perked up and dropped his phone to the seat, crawling over to Craig's side to unlock the door and open it. Going back into his seat with a quick plop.

"Ruth's Circles?" Tweek asked with a hint of amusement as he read the side of the box with black cursive lettering.

Craig smiled as he ducked his head into the car and sat in his seat. Setting the box in the middle of Tweek and him. "Trust me, they're good." Tweek went to open the box of doughnuts, but his hand was slapped by a much larger one. "Wait until we get to our destination."

"Our destination?" Tweek rubbed the back of his unharmed hand. "We can't just eat them in this beautiful parking lot you've parked us in?" Letting go of his hand to motion to the car next to them that was either having a drug deal or an intimate moment, or both inside of it.

Craig grinned and put his keys in the ignition. "As much as I would like to see Mr. Garrison snort cocaine off of Mr. Slave, I rather not eat and watch."

"That's Mr. Garrison?!" Tweek's mouth dropped opened and went to look out the window. 

"How many people have you brought here to have sex?"

Craig didn't answer, only looked out at the town below them. 

The two of them were parked at the edge of a lookout that Craig truthfully did take most of his past hookups. They were able to see everything from Stark's Pond to the now abandoned SoDoSoPa. Some of the shapes of the smaller homes blending together while larger buildings stood as they were. The sun being in direct line to stab at their eyes, but also warm them in the cold woodsy area they were parked in.

"I haven't had sex with anyone... _here_." Craig finally said. 

Tweek looked at him with a squint. "What does that mean?"

"I've only have sex in the trunk." Craig admitted. 

"Ugh!" Tweek grimaced and punched at Craig's arm. "You could have just lied!"

Craig gave a playful push back to Tweek. "You asked!"

"Expecting you to lie!" Tweek put his back against the window and kicked his leg at the side of Craig. 

Craig mimicked Tweek's pose and unfairly won the strange leg battle they were having with his overly long legs. "At least I haven't done it where you're sitting!"

Tweek went to kick at him again, but his knee bumped the pink box of glazed sweet bread and knocking the doughnuts into his lap. The semi-spilled doughnuts silently ending their play argument. Tweek looked up with a smirk that was verging on a pout. "Can we eat these now?"

Craig sat back in his seat regularly and nodded. "Might as well now." 

Tweek placed the misplaced doughnuts back in the box and plucked the last one standing up from his lap. "So glad I have permission." 

Craig watched as Tweek bit into the greasy fried bread with a smirk. His grin growing when the sweet glaze finally touched Tweek's tongue and his face contorted in ecstasy. His brows furrowing and shoulders hunching as he groaned, his mouth closing around the doughnut further with another suggestive noise. He pulled his mouth from the bread with squeezed shut eyes, fully savoring the flavor occurring. 

"Oh my god." Tweek moaned, his head tilting back in pleasure. "These are so good!"

Craig grinned at Tweek's reaction. "I told you."

"I thought you were just being dramatic." Tweek scraped the corners of his mouth for the last remnants of the bite he took, not wanting to leave any part of this goodness behind. Letting out a groan as he swallowed the mush. "I've never even seen that place before. How'd you find it?"

Craig took his own doughnut from the box. "Chef told me about it."

"Ugh! Tell Chef thank you for me." Tweek stuffed his mouth with another chunk of sweet bread.

Craig watched Tweek run through his doughnut bite after bite, quirking a brow at the fast-paced eating. "Didn't have breakfast?"

"Hm?" Tweek hummed once his cheeks were full like a chipmunks, His eyes briefly looking at the demolished parts of his doughnut that were left behind in the slaughter. Swallowing the remaining bits to answer a quiet. "Oh."

Craig let out a laugh and scooted closer to Tweek, his thumb coming up to wipe away the stray crumbs on the tutor's cheek. "Yeah, oh."

"I might've forgotten that part of my day." Tweek said, avoiding eye contact with Craig as he touched his face. The touching and lack of space between them seems like it shouldn't involve eye contact. But then again, they have touched more than this so it shouldn't mean that much to him. "As you know, I was up all night, so I woke up late today."

Craig pulled his hand away with a frown. "That's why I didn't see you at school?"

"Yeah, I woke up when fourth period was starting." Tweek bit his cheek and looked at the floor of the truck, recalling when he woke up this morning and the house was still completely empty. "So I just got ready and ran out of the house."

Craig stared at the side of Tweek's face as he thought about the absentees in the tutor's life. How did life work for Tweek when he was younger? Was he alone then too? Did someone watch after him? All these questions just made Craig want to squeeze the male in front of him more than ever.

"How?"

Tweek laughed and turned towards Craig with a shrug. "It's real easy, I just put clothes on and got in my car."

"No." Craig sharpened his gaze on Tweek. "I mean, I'm just confused how... or why your parents..." Craig closed his mouth and looked away, feeling ashamed for bringing up the subject again after Tweek seemed to be in a good mood. "Sorry, I'll bud out."

"No, it's fine." Tweek brushed off some of the crumbs that has accumulated onto his lap. "I get it. It's a... weird situation."

Craig wanted to rebuttal that it wasn't a weird situation, it was a worrying and sad one that has left him without sleep some nights, but he held back. "Yeah."

"I mean, it wasn't always like this." Tweek smiled and turned to Craig. "There was a time where I actually spent a lot of my time with them."

Craig looked at the smile with a frown. "What happened?"

"Well, when I was younger they owned a coffee shop called Tweak Bros and looking back it was kinda shitty coffee." Tweek laughed to himself. "But I loved that place. My mom would let me pretend to take peoples orders at the same time as her." Craig watched as Tweek's smile grew warmer. "Or my dad would let me help him make the orders." Tweek giggled to himself, his head tilting back as he reminisced. "Gah, I messed up so much, but he never got mad. He'd always say that it was what made the coffee 'family made'."

Craig smiled, his heartstrings being tugged on by the story between Tweek and his dad. "That sounds nice."

"It was." Tweek let out a content sigh before his smile dampened. "But of course with most small businesses my parents got the option to either, get bought out or get in with the big cooperation. So naturally just wanting to support their family, they went with Harbucks."

Craig raised his eyebrows. " _Harbucks_? As in Harbucks coffee?"

Tweek nodded. "Yep, they started as just some managers of quality for the nearby chains, but then they got offered more money for being regional quality managers." Tweek rolled his eyes as he continued. "And of course they accepted, but they were also accepting to leaving the state to check in on other locations." He sighed and played with his hands. "And when you're out of state, you don't have a whole lot of time for your child, but at least I still got to see them two days out of the week." The corners of his mouth fell completely. "Now they're global managers and go all over the world and I see them as much as you'd expect."

Tweek grabbed another doughnut from the box, not eating it, but just wanting something to pick at and distract his hands in the moment.

"Who watched you if they weren't there?" Craig desperately praying it was someone and they weren't just leaving Tweek on his lonesome like they do now.

"Depends, sometimes I would have a baby sitter and sometimes they would drop me off at Wendy's for the days." Tweek looked out at the town in front of them, being able to spot the school then take the correct steps from there to look at Wendy's house. "Then around eighth grade they decided that I didn't need a sitter anymore."

Craig's face turned sadder as the thought about the lonely time Tweek must have endured. His brain not having enough capacity to respond more thoughtfully to Tweek other than to say. "That suck's."

Tweek smiled through the sad memories, the simple response seeming out of place, but exactly what he needed. Tweek turned to Craig and hummed. "Hmm, you always have such a way with words."

Craig's face flushed at his ineptness towards human response, turning away and looking down at the wheel. "Sorry, I usually don't console people."

"That's a good thing." Tweek then turned himself in his seat to completely stare at Craig. "Now you tell me something depressing. I feel bad for emotionally dumping on you."

Craig side-eyed the look from Tweek with a single raised brow. "You want to hear _more_ depressing family stuff."

"What do you mean more depressing _family_ stuff?" Tweek's brows furrowed in concern, hoping he accidentally hadn't overstepped a boundary nor brought up something Craig would be upset to talk about in efforts of just making non-sad conversation with him. "Craig, I'm-"

Craig muffled Tweek with a doughnut to the mouth, not wanting to start another rabbit hole of feelings. "Let's play thumb war instead." 

The sun was finally setting on the day when Tweek felt a shiver travel up his spine, the lack of sun beating on the car driving away all the free heat Tweek had been getting. His little shake drew away Craig's attention from his story. His eyes observing the partly huddled position that Tweek was in, his arms wrapped around one another in hope of preserving his small amount of heat.

Craig smirked and shook his head at the cold male next to him. "Why do you never wear a jacket?"

"What do you mean?" Tweek asked, tightening his wrap around his arms to hopefully increase his warmth.

Craig motioned to the single, thin knit sweater Tweek wore. "You only wear these flimsy sweaters out and every time you go outside you're cold." His hands going to turn on the car's heater, unsure if the thing still worked or not. "Wear a jacket."

"First off." Tweek pinched the chest of his sweater and gave a quick puff to the white fabric. "This was hand-woven by an underprivileged child in a third-world country." He then gave a playful glare to Craig. "So you calling their valuable seven cent workday is beyond rude."

Craig snorted. "I'm glad you're so concerned about their feelings." Giving a triumphant smile as he heard the old sighs of the car trying to pump out heat.

"And second." Tweek poked a finger at Craig's arm. "I never see you with a jacket."

Craig scoffed. "I don't need one." He then directed the heating vent's slots towards Tweek with a swoop of the finger. "I turned on the heat, Cruella."

"Ugh, I'm not wearing puppies." Tweek defended, placing his hands in front of the heating slots to try and gain some heat from them.

Craig laughed. "No, just child labor."

Tweek rolled his eyes and kept moving his hand around the vent expecting some sort of heat to come out, but gaining none. Pouting his mouth to the side and turning his sights towards Craig. "It's not working."

"Hm." Craig frowned and sharpened his gaze as he tried to think of a solution to the cold problem Tweek was having. His mind then blinked on a defective lightbulb as he reached his arm out to hook onto the other side of Tweek's hips. Doing a quick slide of the male over to him.

Tweek blinked at the new seating arrangement that has him suddenly arm to arm and outer thigh to outer thigh with Craig. Feeling his stomach flip as Craig's warmed arm hung itself over his shoulder like a scarf. Wanting to bat off the arm and retake his original seat next to the opposite window in protest of being moved around in such a way, but his body not letting him. The heat that Craig gave off was comparable to a bear's, there was no way Craig was human to be letting off a radiator heat like this.

"There."

Tweek let himself get knocked out of his heat caused dilemma and looked up at Craig's face, which was much closer than it was ten seconds ago. "What do you mean 'there'?"

"I mean problem solved." Craig smiled down at Tweek, their noses in bumping proximity.

Tweek thudded his hand against Craig's chest. "Not really, you just made me Christian side-hug you."

"Christian side-hug?" Craig laughed and released Tweek's shoulders from his right arm, letting the previous seat-heater arm reach towards the floor of the car. "Fine, you can wear this if you're cold."

Craig threw the black mass from the floor onto Tweek's lap, smiling at the recognition that showed clearly in Tweek's eyes. His hands gently picking up the tossed garment. "Oh my god. This is-"

"The jacket you wrecked." Craig finished happily for Tweek.

Tweek's fingers traced the bedazzled back with wide-eyes, his mouth gentle mouthing the plain as day words of 'My Bitch's' on the back of the jacket. His lips turning down in regret as his thumb picked at the four rhinestones creating the apostrophe in 'Bitch's'. "I still feel so bad."

" _What_?" Craig gave an incredulous stare to Tweek. "You have nothing to feel bad about. I was the one who blew smoke in your face."

Tweek looked up at Craig with apologetic eyes, the stare seeming so unexpected in the moment. "Yeah, but I shouldn't have done this!" His eyes looking down to the back of the jacket as he tried to pick off the glued sparkly words. "I don't know what sentimental value this has for you. For all I know it could have been in your family for generations." Getting a single fake gem off in his attempts. "And I ruined it because I was angry."

"Tweek, it's fine." Craig let his arm absentmindedly sling itself back onto Tweek's shoulders, watching Tweek continue to try and pick off the rhinestones. "I deserved it and it hasn't been in my family for generations or anything like that. I got it from Chef."

Tweek kept working on the jacket's back with a frown. "Did he have it for generations?"

"No, he bought a couple to wear when he wanted to look cool while picking up chicks. The arms on this one were too long and he gave it to me." Craig then looked at the side of Tweek's face with a smile. "Do you still feel bad?"

Tweek picked off the last piece of the apostrophe and flicked it to the side, looking up at Craig when it disappeared in a blaze of glittery glory. "Slightly... but go on with your lock picking story."

Craig smiled at the pout that was still puffed on Tweek's lips and looked out at the falling sun in front of them. "So there I was, just a paper clip and my wit."

"His goal is to have a house in every state." Craig gave an impressed nod to himself. "And he's pretty close, I think he just needs Virginia and a couple of the nose bleed states." His eyes trying to examine all the little specs known as stars in the sky in front of them. "I just don't think working in that bar is worth it for all that."

Tweek muttered something unidentifiable, his lips simply just moving and making noise for the sake of a response.

"I mean, Chef seems to love working at the bar." Craig frowned in thought. "So I guess it's perfect for him, but-"

A heavy thud on Craig's collarbone interrupted his next thought. He looked down and saw that Tweek had fallen victim to sleep, pondering if he was being boring or if Tweek was really that tired. Letting a smile slip at the back of his jacket that now only held a few randomly placed gems. His smile only falling as he saw the small pile of rhinestones that had accumulated on the car's floor.

"I guess it is pretty late." Craig said to himself as he pulled out his phone, his eyes widening upon seeing that it was two hours from being the next day. He started to unwrap his arm around Tweek, but got a noise of disapproval from the sleeping male; the sound being the equivalent of a growl from a puppy. "I have to take my arm away. I can't drive without it." Tweek just let out another tired and unhappy noise.

Craig pulled his arm back and quickly hushed the complaints from Tweek as he placed his hand on the wheel. Taking his hand to guide Tweek's head on his bicep. "There you are, you complainer."

"Tweek."

_No._

"Tweek, come on."

_No_

"You're home."

" _What?_ " Tweek finally voiced out, his head lazily coming up from whatever it had been resting on. His eyes having to blink to readjust to the new dark surroundings he didn't remember being in the last time he closed his eyes.

"I said, you're home."

Tweek turned his sight towards Craig with a yawn. "Oh, hi."

"Hi, you." Craig nudged at Tweek with an elbow. "Go sleep in your room, it will be a lot more comfortable."

Tweek looked at where his head must have been based on how he sat up. His eyes landing lazily on Craig's shoulder, seeing a small drool spot. His hands coming up to dab the spot clumsily. "Sorry about your shirt... again."

"It's whatever." Craig said as he glanced at the second wet spot of the day, a little more perturbed by this one than the other, but shrugging it off all the same. Taking off his seat belt and grabbing the box of doughnuts that sat on the dashboard. "Come on, I'll walk you to the door."

Tweek frowned as Craig got out the door. The warmth that Tweek forgot he was emitting, leaving with him. Tweek sighed as grabbed his bag and took a couple scoots to the side to try and get out of the truck, feeling a little wobbly as he finally stepped out.

"You good?" Craig questioned, closing the door as Tweek walked a few slow steps forward.

Tweek nodded. "Yeah, just tired and ready for bed."

"Well good thing you're on your way there." Craig's hand laid on Tweek's lower back, trying to keep his tutor steady. The steps Tweek was taking not looking too promising on being safe. His hand pressing on the small of the back when they reached the three stairs to the door. Tweek seemed to need that extra push in his unawake state.

"And we're here." Craig said with a smile as Tweek finally made it to the top step in front of the door.

Tweek pouted as he thought about the flight of stairs he would still have to make it up. "Barely." His eyes then caught Craig's smile with a warm flutter in his stomach. "Hey you."

"Hm?" Craig quirked a brow.

Tweek stepped forward and let his hands cup Craig's face. "Thank you for today."

"No problem." Craig said, trying to ignore the unnaturally warm feeling in his face. "Anytime."

Tweek shook his head and gave Craig's face a small squeeze. "No, really. I had a good day because of you." He let his hands drop to lay on his chest with a calm breath. "I appreciated it a lot."

He then leaned forward and pressed a delicate kiss on the side of Craig's face.

" _Goodnight, Craig._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a lot wasn't it?


	18. Let Me Ask The Audience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Underneath Chef's bar is the equivalent of Batman's belt.

"Ew."

Tweek side-eyed Token as he bit into his doughnut. His mouth stopping mid-chew to push aside the mush he was making to try and say. "What?"

"That." Token motioned to the half-eaten food. "What are you eating?" He gave a half-gag as Tweek swallowed what was in his mouth.

Tweek glanced at the doughnut in his hand and held it towards Token. "Oh a doughnut, want some?"

"Ugh, _no_." Token pulled his head the furthest it could be away from the offending piece of food. "That thing looks like it's going to clog your heart the second you finish it." Token grimaced and gave a disgusted shiver at the thought of the greasy thing being inside of him. "Where did you get that thing?"

Tweek's face turned sour and pulled the donut away from Token. "Craig got them for me." He then stared at the day-old delicacy with a soft smile, yesterday's events fresh on his mind and fresh on the treat. "They were kinda like a present."

Token caught the smile and grimaced further. "He would get you those." Knowing the correct action for this horrid disgrace to arteries everywhere, he reached for doughnut. "Throw that out before you go into cardiac arrest."

Tweek pulled back his hand. "Hey! It's not like I'm making you eat it." He then squinted his eyes at Token. "And what do you mean, 'he would get you those'?"

"I mean, he seems like the type of person who would eat this." Token reached further for the circular piece of fried dough, not noticing the offense taken by Tweek. "Do you know that sweets like these stay on your heart forever?"

Tweek took a step away from his friend and held the doughnut as far as it could be from Token. "Type of person? What _type_ of person are you insinuating Craig to be? And if you didn't notice, I'm eating this."

Token noticed the small glare he was getting from Tweek and rolled his eyes. "Tweek, you and him are obviously different. I'm not trying to offend you."

"Just him though?" Tweek remarked back with a sharp tone, one hand falling on his hip as he glared at Token. "And why does it matter if we're 'different'?"

Token let out an exasperated breath, wanting the tiresome conversation to be over and have Tweek see the obvious differences that he is refusing to see right now. "Tweek, he's bad news and you shouldn't be getting close with him." He scowled and pointed at the doughnut. "Things like that are just the beginning. Next you'll be smoking and becoming another one of his groupies."

Tweek's mouth dropped in anger, astounded that Token thinks he is so impressionable and that Token is making assumptions about someone he doesn't know. That final bit being the straw that broke the camels back as Tweek stomped one foot toward Token. 

"He quit smoking!" Tweek threw the doughnut at Token, not caring about the glaze that peeled off the doughnut and was left on the front of Token's vest. "And I'm _not_ a groupie!"

Token looked at the front of his cashmere sweater vest and did the best he could not to get upset about ruined garment. Finding it more than out of character that Tweek wasn't even apologizing for the piece of fabric he's ruined.

Finding it even stranger when he looked up and saw that Tweek was trudging off to an unknown location. His face falling in shock that his friend had just decided to blow him off and ditch their library date.

Hoping to salvage a romantic hour of re-shelving books, Token called out. "I never said you were! I'm just trying to help you!"

"Don't talk to me!"

Craig gave a look around the halls, not wanting anyone to even witness him typing and searching this question.

_What do cheek kisses mean?_

"Used between lovers, family-members, and close friends..." Craig scratched at his stubble as he read the article. "Hrmm... What about between tutor and students?"

Craig typed 'my tutor kissed me' into the search bar and got a bunch of resulting searches that gave various situations that did not match his.

He sighed and scrolled through the abundance of bullshit articles about kissing tips and strange written Wattpad stories about tutors and students kissing. Craig squinted his eyes as he caught one header to a link that made him stop scrolling. "My faptasy of my tutor...?"

Morbid curiosity got the better of him and he clicked the sketchy looking link.

" _Have you been bad_?" A sultry voice said loud and clear from his phone.

Craig's face flushed as his hands scrambled to back out of the site and turn down the volume all at once. Just barely making it out of the situation with his dignity, catching a new person coming down the hallway just as he tucked his phone away. Raising a single brow at the large truck they were pushing ahead of them then falling back into his pondering.

"God, I should just ask." Craig chewed his cheek as he thought about how that would go down.

_Hey Tweek! About that cheek kiss you gave me yesterday, wanna explain the motive a bit?_

_Oh yeah! Sure! It was completely platonic! I would never want anything to do with you romantically!_

_Then why would you kiss me on the cheek?_

_Because I pity how desperate you are!_

_You got me there, Babe!_

Craig groaned and let his head sink to his chest. "I can't ask him." His eyes only lifting as the large cart that the person was pushing went by his feet, catching the words 'library returns' lazily written onto one the side of the cart. "But I know who I can ask."

Tweek unbuckled his seat belt and looked at the car shop he had parked himself in front of. A weak sigh coming out of him as he stared inside the shop.

_Am I this lonely?_

He had given Craig and him the day off from tutoring. Tweek had gotten nothing done yesterday and the night before that and had a small backup of work in front of him. He wanted to get some work done at the library with Token, but of course he couldn't now because they had just fought. So obviously he should just go home and work there... except he couldn't.

He didn't wanna go home and be alone.

As comforting as last night was, it wasn't a lasting comfort. He still wanted to be with someone and feel like he wasn't in social isolation.

He was tempted at the thought of just calling and asking Craig about hanging out, but he didn't want to steal another day from him. He was sure that Craig had his own things he missed out on, but got pushed aside because of Tweek.

_And I don't think he likes clingy people either._

With that thought Tweek grabbed his messenger bag off the passenger seat and got out of the car. He wasn't going to call and risk Craig thinking he's being overbearing and needy because he couldn't find other people to talk to.

Tweek walked into the auto-shop with a bell chiming his unscheduled entrance.

Mole looked up from the newspaper that was spread over the counter and furrowed his brows. "Ze fuck do you want? Your car brake again?"

Tweek felt his brain immediately scream at him for his dumb chance at company, forgetting how unwelcoming the company was the last time he saw him. "Uh no." Tweek walked forward with an uneasy smile. "I was just coming by to say... hi... I guess."

Mole's frown deepened, the further exaggeration of his upset face making him look like a cartoon character with emotions that stretched further than the limits of their face. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and stamped it out on the overused ash tray. His accent as strong and confusing as ever as he said. "To say hi?"

"Yep." Tweek arrived at the counter, his hands landing on the top with nervous fists. Giving a nervous smile and he did a small wave towards Mole. "Hi."

Mole looked Tweek up and down, his frown only getting worse from the wave, crossing his arms in disturbance he said a quick. "Ello, now leave."

Tweek gave a fake laugh at the fast dismissal and smiled. "Well obviously I don't want to just say hi and leave. I thought I could... sit here for a bit."

"Zit here?" Mole questioned, his arms uncrossing to use limp hands to motion to the counter in front of him.

Tweek gave another fake, edging on nervous, laugh. "Not sit _right_ here." Tweek then turned to the two chairs that sat next to the counter and gave a small motion to them. "More like... _there._ "

"You want to just zit here for no reason?" Mole's eyes became slits as he looked at Tweek.

Tweek nodded. "I was actually hoping to do my homework, but I guess it is for no reason."

"Do I look like a baby sitter?" Mole glared at Tweek as his voice raised. "What were you expecting?!"

Tweek winced and shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you could tell me how you met Craig or something while I worked." His head bowed as he spoke, realizing how stupid he was to think that this angry frenchmen was about to just let him sit while he told stories like a kindergarten teacher. "Uh... Sorry."

"Zamn right you are!" Mole drew his brows deeper at Tweek as he continued. "I know Craig the same way he knows Chef! Go ask him!"

Tweek nodded at the directions and gave a wave as a farewell to angered male. "I'll go now."

"Good." Mole scoffed, looking back down at his newspaper, only briefly glancing up to make sure Tweek left. 

Although Mole's fumes dissipated as he watched the blonde head of hair in front of him deflate walk away. The hair going down as Tweek walked off making Mole think of a puppy dog's ears going down in rejection. He hated dogs, but he didn't hate mankind. His own bitter heart beating a sad beat for the human equivalent of a kicked puppy walking out of his shop.

"Ten minutes." Mole said through a cough, grumbling to himself angrily as the two words were forced by out by the cocksucking god himself.

Tweek turned around unsure if he actually heard the words or not. "What?"

"Ten minutes." Mole gave a look to the men in the back of the shop then back to Tweek. "I'll entertain you for ten minutes. Then you go see Chef."

Craig walked into the library with an anxious feeling in his stomach.

He doesn't think he had ever been in here without Tweek to figuratively hold his hand while he visited. He stepped into the great book expanse and felt his heart beat faster.

There were people in here who were serious about their futures and studying hard to get there. People who actually read books and used them to seek their answers instead of looking up an easily found answer online. They were future scholars in here.

He shouldn't be here. He isn't a future scholar nor does he use books for information.

Smart people were in here and he wasn't smart.

Craig saw Token re-shelving books in the furthest corner of the library and felt his stomach clench tighter.

_Token's here._

Which is what he wanted just for today's circumstances, but any other day he didn't like the thought of Token being anywhere.

Craig began to walk over to the the Gucci mannequin against his best wishes. If anyone knew anything about Tweek and how he acted, _sadly_ , it would be Token. According to the lore he's been told by Tweek, they've know each other for about two years. Which is enough time for Token to pick up on any strange behaviors that Tweek might exhibit.

"Hey Romeo." Craig said with a fake enthusiasm.

Token turned around and looked more displeased to see Craig than usual. His eyes narrowing in disgust and complete loathing as the delinquent came towards him. "Anyone, but you."

"Nice to see you too." Craig then looked at the books that Token was lugging around and smiled. "Re-stocking?"

Token stopped and turned to Craig, his eyes venomous as he stared at the other male. "Either check-out a book or stop talking to me." He then turned back and continued to stock the books in hand.

"I am checking a book out." Craig gave a quick looked around and picked up the first book he saw off of a nearby table. Holding the book up with one hand proudly. "This one."

Token turned around and read the cover out, his brows scrunching further down in confusion. "The Art Of Waiting: Fertility, Medicine And Motherhood?"

"Of fucking course it is." Craig muttered to himself, of course the one book on that table is a book that has absolutely nothing to do with him. His second thought being, why the fuck is there a fertility book in this high school library. "I mean, of course."

Token looked Craig up and down and scoffed. "I'll check you out then."

"Cool."

Craig followed behind Token as he walked to the check-out counter. Wondering how to approach the situation, lightly or full-force?

"Give me the book so you can leave faster."

_Lightly it is._

Craig passed the book to Token and gave another fake smile. "So... you know Tweek?"

Token opened the book to find it's barcode and scan it. "Obviously."

"Heh... Well you're close with him, yeah?" Craig looked towards the monitor as he heard a sad beep come from the small scanner Token was using.

"Yes." Token looked at the screen then Craig with a sharp glare. "Do you have a library card?"

Craig shook his head. "No."

"Have you ever checked out a book from the library?" Token started typing something out on the computer.

"Also no."

Token scoffed at Craig and started writing something on a sticky-note. "I'm going to have to make you a library card."

"Sounds fun." Craig gave an awkward look around and pressed again. "So... does he have any quirks?"

Token furrowed his brow and looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Like has he ever... kissed you on the cheek?" Craig felt his face heat up at the memory. He felt like he had been branded and the place where Tweek's lips touched his face was a darker red than the rest of his skin.

Why is he getting so flustered by this? He's seen orgys take place and not bat an eye, but the five foot eight tutor with blonde hair was making him turn upside down.

_Man, I gotta get laid._

Token smirked to himself as he motioned Craig to follow him. Feeling a swell of pride in himself that he has been on the receiving end of one of these kisses while Craig can only wonder about them. Glad to still have something over Craig, he gave a devious laugh and nodded. "Yes, plenty of times actually."

"Really?" Craig followed Token into the small room at the center of the library. His stomach twisted at the disturbing thought that Tweek has given Token any of the such, even though his goal was to know.

Token motioned to a chair in front of a strange contraption that worked as a shitty camera for ID photos, then doubled as a printer for the ID. Flicking on the machine with a giddy smile Token said. "Oh yes. It's just something he does, but only if you're close with him."

" _Only_ if you're close? Like how close?" Craig sat in the seat, not minding the smug expression Token was wearing.

Token gave shake of the head at Craig's questions, he could only wish he was close with Tweek. He pushed a couple buttons and said in a rather arrogant tone. "Really close. It's his own silent way of saying I trust you." He laughed to himself as he set the timer for the ID picture. "And I'm just one of those lucky few."

"So it's trust?" Craig looked at Token with a tilt of the head. "Like friendship?"

Token nodded. "But more. Smile for the picture."

The timer started to count down from ten, giving Craig the opportunity to take any stance he wanted for the picture. Craig slumping in the seat and looking at the camera with a relaxed smile. "Well I guess he trusts me then." Craig laughed to himself. "He kissed me on the cheek yesterday."

"WHAT?!"

Then the camera flashed.

"Farewell, mon ami!"

Tweek turned his shoulder to wave as he walked towards his car, giving a bright smile as he called back. "Bye, Christophe!"

Tweek smiled as Mole continued to bid him adieu through the store's window.

Despite the first bad reaction to Tweek being here, the angry frenchmen told him any and every story he could think of after gentle prodding.

Tweek listened deeply to the stories of Mole's rebellion that he led with a group he called the resistance. He did his best to do his homework, but the story about Mole digging underneath a government agency building with nothing but a silver spoon was too intriguing.

Then he was told about how he almost died soon after digging and trying to break into the government agency by rabid dogs. He said he was almost torn limb for limb by the dogs had it not been for the great savior of his lighter. He used it and a spare spray paint can to fend them off and save his life.

Tweek honestly could have listened all day, but after an hour people started to come in and demand stripes and flames were put on their cars. So Tweek left to make Mole's job of entertaining customers easier.

Which was fine because ever since Mole first said the idea, Tweek was curious to go and visit Chef.

He wondered what the bar would be like on a Friday afternoon. Would it be packed with life or would it be desolate like the last time he visited the self proclaimed 'dump'?

Tweek drove to the street that Skeeter's sat on with a happy sway, he was expecting today to be a lot more depressing than it was. He thought he was gong to be kicked out by Mole and be sat in his house with nobody to talk to, but here he is on his way to go talk to yet _another_ person.

Tweek was driving down the street where Skeeter's lived when he noticed a line of motorcycles trapping the alley closed. Giving a small frown and 'hrm' to the hassle he will have parking and the hassle he will have getting past the bikes and into the alley.

Tweek got out of the car and slung his bag over himself, thinking even if he talks to Chef that he should try and get something done. He had a couple worksheets for bio, a chapter for literature then a packet for calc, all of which was being pushed off by his company, but that was unimportant.

Tweek stared at the motorcycle leaning against the wall and gave a look around; he didn't want to move it, but also that seemed like the only answer to his riddle. He held the handle with as little and as much force as he could, not wanting to injure the bike, but also wanting to just relocate the bike.

Finally when a little opening that was wide enough for him to squeeze through opened up, he sucked in and tried to squeeze past. The slide-by almost going according to plan, but his bag snagging onto the mirror in the last second.

"Are you kidding me?" Tweek groaned and tried to move his bag out the way just by thrusting his body in a weird direction.

He gave another awkward pelvic thrust and the loop of his bag was let go of, letting Tweek finally pass. He then turned his sight towards down the alley where a group of tough looking men stood at the entrance to Skeeter's. Wondering for a small moment if they had seen him do the awkward thrusts to move the bikes.

He started walking down the alley, hoping to win over these bar comrades with a pleasant nod and a good natured but, wonder bread, smile. They seemed not to care about Tweek's existence as he walked by with his courtesies. All of them dismissing the blonde with a look away except one of the men who smiled back.

The smile was a little too friendly and a little too responsive to Tweek for it to be a good sign. So Tweek took this as a tall-tale sign to walk a bit faster into the bar where there was someone he knew.

Tweek anxieties melted when he saw Chef behind the counter, the bartender's face lighting up like fireworks when he saw his new visitor.

"Tweek!" Chef opened his arms wide as if to emulate a hug, but not actually give one. The motion and the booming voice made Tweek feel warm and welcomed. The greeting making Tweek wish he started with Skeeter's. "The best surprise a guy could ask for!"

Tweek gave a bright smile back. "So you're happy to see me?"

"Of course! A friend of Craig's is a friend of mine. Hold on just a second, T." Chef looked back down to a drink that was in the process of being made, reaching under the counter and pulling out a single mini-umbrella. Plopping the tiny rain gear into a mysterious brown liquid and sliding it over to the waiting man to the right of him. His gaze then turned back to Tweek, his smile alive when he said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Tweek looked at the small pink umbrella that sat on top of the drinker's beverage and laughed slightly. "I was just feeling for some company and thought I could swing by to do my homework." He placed his bag on the counter, not first checking for the stickiness on the surface. A mistake he will regret later when the bag grabs and latches itself to any and every lint or fuzz. "And can I have a drink that has an umbrella?"

"You're doing work on a Friday?" Chef reached underneath the counter and pulled out a green umbrella for the teen in front of him. Tweek mouthing a polite 'thank you' upon getting the drink topper. "No wonder Craig's so whipped lately."

Tweek twisted the glorified toothpick between his fingers, watching the printed on flowers turn into a pattern as they were spun. "It's because I didn't do my work for the past two days, so I have to work extra today."

"Hrmm, skipping work?" Chef gave a wag of the finger towards the blonde. "That doesn't sound very tutorly."

Tweek gave a fake-guilty shrug. "I was hanging out with Craig yesterday."

"Hanging out?" Chef tilted his head down to give Tweek a narrowed look. "Like _hanging out_ , hanging out?"

Tweek laughed and shook his head. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I'm gonna take the safe bet and say no."

"Trust me you'll know when the right time to say, yes, is." Chef watched Tweek give a giggle and frowned slightly. The bartender could see clearly that Tweek was a good kid and beyond that at smart kid. His eyes bright and tail bushy. The radiance of the blonde being bright and undimmed for the moment. So when he thought about Craig and how he usually deals with relationships he couldn't help, but feel a foreshadowing guilt. "You know... if you guys do ever 'hang out'... try not to be too... close. He has a colorful array of things he doesn't do well with."

Tweek's face fell with the warning, the wording being a little too coded to completely comprehend. So he just gave a curt nod. "Note taken."

"Probably won't be that way with you though." Chef brightened again and gave a wink towards Tweek. "I see the way he looks at you." Then he gave a chuckle. "And your ass."

Tweek's mouth dropped open and eyes bugged out. "He does _not_."

"Mhmm. I've seen it." Tweek responded with vigorous head shaking in return, only tiny laughs sputtering out with the shaking. Chef crossed his arms at the response and smugly said. "Why don't you ask him then?"

Tweek laughed at the request and shook his head less aggressively. "No way will I ever ask if he's looking at my butt."

"You'll eat those words." Chef said in a way that reminded Tweek completely of Craig-maybe because he's said those exact words to him-and how he banters.

Tweek tilted his head at the phrase, fully taking in Chef as he got the new perspective from the tilt. "You guys are so similar." He leaned forward in his seat, his elbows resting on the bag in front of him instead of the sticky counter. "How long have you known him?"

"Now that's a question." Chef took a step back, resting the backs of his hands on his hips in thought. Recalling a young fifteen year old Tucker. "I first met him about three years ago when his-"

"Aye! More beer over here!"

Chef looked up and gave a nod with a smile. "No problem!" He then looked back at Tweek and patted the mess of blonde hair. "I'll be right back, kiddo."

Tweek hummed a sound of confirmation at Chef's justification that he will be returning, the small head pat being another action that reminded Tweek of Craig. Although Chef's head pat felt different than Craig's. Chef's were like an old friend doing them while Craig's felt closer and more intimate. Well, as intimate as a head pat could get.

Tweek laughed at his own dumb thoughts, watching with a careless smile as Chef went to the backroom to grab more pint glasses for the already plenty boozed up table. His eyes scanning the area around him and seeing that there were a lot of men and women dressed up in leather jackets and bandanas. A lot of them reminding Tweek of Hulk Hogan with their funky mustaches and sunglasses.

"This seat taken?"

Tweek turned his head towards the words being spoken to him, his eyes landing on a familiar face.

It was the man who smiled back at him from outside the bar earlier, the smile still present and still just as unsettling. Tweek's eyes widened upon seeing how close the male's face was to his, quickly backing his head up from the face that was only six inches away from his. His mind registering the words as a question only when his face was farther from the other man's.

"Uh..." Tweek gave a look around for anyone who might of been sitting in that seat previously and shook his head when he found no one. "I don't think so."

The man rumbled a deep laugh and sat on the stool next to Tweek's. His light brown hair and bright blue eyes would seem attractive at first, but the look he was giving Tweek was what was putting the blonde off. They made Tweek feel like he was naked and not in a graceful 'I'm free' way, but a 'I wanna go home' way. "You're funny."

"Oh really?" Tweek put his hands between his legs. His cold appendages needing some shelter and the way the man was focusing on his hands made him even more nervous. "I didn't think I said anything funny."

The man leaned on the counter, but somehow managing to get closer to Tweek. "You didn't. I just think you're a little inexperienced."

"Oh." Tweek then looked forward, seeing the silhouette of Chef's hat pass by the window and gave a breath. Glad to have a friend coming back to hopefully scare away the man, but then a loud crash and the Chef's hat falling out of view made Tweek's breath suck right back in. "Oh god."

The man reached his hand over to Tweek's upper thigh. "Something wrong, sugar?"

Tweek inwardly cringed at the name and tried to stand up from his chair. "Don't call me that."

"Why?" The man grabbed Tweek's wrist and pulled him back down onto his stool. "Got a boyfriend?"

Tweek tried to yank his wrist back, but it didn't seem to be working. He had read plenty of articles and gone to a class or two on self defense, but all of his experience seemed to go out the window in these few seconds. Shock taking over his limbs and his fight or flight reaction dying out as his wrist was squeezed in a cold hand. His mouth being the only think working to say a lame. "Uh... y-yes."

"Oh yeah?" The man's face inched closer to Tweek's. "Where is he?"

"Hey asswipe."

Tweek barely turned his head in time to register the fist being thrown past him and directly at the guy's face. His eyes widening as he saw the poor man's face get hit from the side and the impact ripple across his face. The blow being enough to make the guy fly off his stool and backwards onto the bars sticky floor. Tweek blinked once as he tried to comprehend how that man was just on him, but was now beaten on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Craig appeared in front of Tweek, his brows furrowed in concern as he checked over Tweek for any damages, physically or mentally. Sadly Craig had been too late and Tweek's mind was currently fighting with itself on the actions that just took place.

_That wasn't hot._

_That wasn't hot._

_That wasn't hot._

_That wasn't hot._

_That wasn't hot._

" _Tweek_." Craig said in a more assertive tone.

Tweek gave a quick shake of the head and made eye contact with Craig, the stern look bringing Tweek fully back to reality. "Huh?"

"Are you okay?" Craig kept his eyes trained on Tweek's, looking for any indication that he had been harmed by this altercation. The look he got back told him he was fine-in fact a _little_ more than fine-but Craig still wanted verbal confirmation. 

Tweek nodded his head, deciding to say-to himself-that Craig doing that was only a little hot. "I'm fine."

With the confirmation, Craig then backed away from Tweek and decompressed his worry hunched shoulders. Taking a deep breath as he side eyed the man on the floor, giving a look around to see that the fellow bikers at the bar seemed fine with Craig attacking this member. 

Craig turned his eyes back to Tweek with a more pressing look, his eyes look more like an angry mother's than caring friend's this time around. The care was still there, just a little more lost. "Why are you here?"

Tweek motioned towards his bag that was sat on the counter. "I came here to do homework."

Craig's brows deepened over his eyes. "Oh yeah, that makes sense. I always go to a demolition yard to read."

"Okay, don't patronize me." Tweek crossed his arms and legs as he looked up at Craig. "I didn't want to be alone at my house while I worked, so I came here."

Craig's brows furrowed deeper. "Why didn't you hang out with Token?"

"We had a quarrel and I didn't wanna talk with him." Tweek gave a shake of the head at the heated bickering that was centered around the very male in front of him. "So I went and hung out with Christophe, but he could only talk for a little bit."

Craig's quirked an incredulously brow at Tweek, his head tilting forward as he asked. "Mole? You saw _Mole_?" 

"Yeah, he told me a couple stories then the shop got busy and I had to go." Tweek explained simply, like he was talking about a casual affair with a friend and not a minorly offending terrorist. 

Craig mouth bobbed for a second before he sat with Tweek on the still warm stool of the previously beaten man. "Let me get the straight. You couldn't hang out with Token, so you went to _Mole_ of all people and the only reason you left is because he was _busy_."

"Pretty much." Tweek nodded. "At first he didn't want to talk, but after a couple questions he was fine."

Craig only felt his brain twist more. Mole, an asshole on a good day, let Tweek, an asshole on a bad day, talk with him and indulge in questions he gave. He stared at Tweek for a moment more, his mouth opening in its own confused shock. "Then you came _here_?"

He watched Tweek nod with a frown. Silently wondering if he did something that made Tweek want to be around literally anyone else. "What about me?" Craig heard groans coming from the guy on the ground and rolled his eyes. Letting the words 'you'll be hearing from my lawyers' go in one ear and out the other as he continued. "Or you could have asked me to bring you here."

"I didn't wanna bother you on your day off." Tweek's eyes gave a short glance to the guy on the floor, feeling a mix of bad and good at the dark mark of the mans face. Although the mark mostly acted as reminder that Tweek was once again preoccupying Craig's time. "And take up _more_ of your time." 

Craig shook his head at the idea of him having time that was being taken up, he mostly just slept and went to school without his old lifestyle. Smoking and occupying his crotch with people were some of his only past times, and without them he's been having plenty of time to spare. "Tweek, I don't think you've noticed, but I don't do much." 

Tweek gave a half laugh at that, but took a fighting stance again as he rebutted Craig's claim with a raised finger. "No, I'm sure you were productive today." 

"Oh totally." Craig reached into his back pocket and pulled out an ID card, handing it to Tweek as he said a fake proud. "I got my library card." 

Tweek took it with a laugh. "See, I knew you would get stu-a-are you being choked?"

When he finally looked down at the card, he was shocked to find a pair of hands coming from the right to grab directly at Craig's neck. The hands were pretty much a blur and Craig's calm face told Tweek that this attack was an unexpected one. 

"Yep." Craig watched Tweek squint and look at the card closer with a smile. "Apparently people don't like sharing kisses." 

Tweek looked up and raised a brow. "Huh?"

"Nothing." 

Tweek gave a final look over Craig's paper, nodding with the parts he agreed with and giving a head shake at the parts Craig took creative liberty on. Not correcting the points because they were well-spoken and for the most part thought out. 

When he finished reading the essay he drew a small smiling face at the bottom with his red pen. "That was good."

"Really?" Craig asked taking the paper back, flipping through the pages for the minor things Tweek fixed. His lips slightly lifting up at the face that was drawn on the last page. "You don't think the duck thing was too much?"

Tweek shook his head. "No, it gave some spice." He then looked down at his watch, a three hour session full of historical mistakes and improper fractions. He gave a sigh and began to pack up his things. "Well, that's time." 

"Geez, these keep getting longer." Craig slid the paper in his binder, side eyeing Tweek as he put on his satchel. Tapping his foot repeatedly in a quick flash of nerves as Tweek pulled out his phone and keys.

Tweek then walked to the door and Craig found himself in a familiar situation. "Hey." 

Tweek glanced up from his phone with big eyes that felt like they were boring into Craig's. "Hm?"

"Do you wanna be alone today?" Craig asked and immediately bit on his tongue, that wording of his question being the worst version possible. Why is he suddenly so uncool about everything? "I mean, are you fine being home alone?"

"Oh." Tweek nodded his head and gave a smile. Thinking about the full day of random activities he planned out for himself so he wouldn't have to go home to an empty house. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Craig pushed further, just in case. Disregarding the nod from Tweek to say. "I promise I have absolutely nothing to do today." 

Tweek bit his lip as he looked at Craig. "Well..." He tried to tell himself resist the temptation and let Craig have his Saturday to himself, but the expectant eyes in front of him coaxed just enough. 

The tutor gave a sigh and stepped towards Craig. "Actually... there's this crystal shop that I want to visit." 

Craig picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Sounds interesting." 

"It is." Tweek pulled his phone out to bring up a webpage about different crystals and their meanings. "Some of them can bring happiness or release anxieties"

Craig laughed at the enthusiasm for sparkly rocks. "Sounds completely real." 

"I'll get you a bloodstone." Tweek smirked as he found the biography for the stone, turning towards the door as he said. "It will cleanse your bad energy." Craig just rolled his eyes at his tutor. 

Just as Tweek was about to open the door for himself, Craig's hand came from above and pushed the broken entrance open for the blonde. His arm hovering over Tweek's shoulder as the door swung open. 

Tweek looked up with playful smile. "Why thank you." His hand coming to give a pat to the side of Craig's face. 

Craig smirked down at the blonde. "What? No kiss this time?"

Tweek's face became burnt with color as he looked up at Craig, the smirk he was receiving not helping the embarrassment or the suddenly dairy intolerant feeling in his stomach. His hands coming up to cover his face as he walked away from Craig. "Oh god. I didn't realize I actually did that." 

"How do you not realize something like that?" Craig asked through a laugh, the fact Tweek barely remembered the cheek-kiss made most of his day's adventures feel a little meaningless and overblown. 

"Gah! I don't even know. I was tired." Tweek shook his head and dropped his hands to his sides in tight fists, looking up at Craig and giving a weary smile. "Sorry, I usually do that to Token. I must have just got my wires crossed."

Craig shrugged and started their walk down the hall. "It's fine, I enjoyed myself." 

"Well don't say that!" Tweek hit at Craig's arm and walked with him. "That makes it weirder." 

Craig grinned at Tweek. "I could probably make it weirder."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heh heh, yes you can Craig. Yes you can.
> 
> The student ID picture of Craig being choked :)  
> https://rytherlover.tumblr.com/post/637752468479115264/yes-yes-he-is-just-me-posting-more-things-only


	19. Pass The Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me writing this:📈📉📈📉📈📉📈📉📈

"Exacto-knife."

"Exacto-knife."

"Glue."

"Glue."

"Fake vines."

"Fake vines."

"Paint markers."

"Paint markers."

"A sprinkle of glitter."

Craig reached into the open container of green glitter and gave it a salt bae dash of the sparkly dust. He looked at Tweek's intense stare after he preformed the flick of the wrist of the shiny spice, waiting for the go ahead to add more or leave the piece of work as is.

Tweek's eyes traced the poster inch by inch, looking at the parts of it that were missing that special 'oomph' that any good eye catching advertisement needed. He stroked his chin as he thought about the dull treetops, squinting at the minor inconsistencies in his letters. Holding back the urge to throw out the poster's with the inconsistent letters and start them over again. Craig had scolded him plenty the first time he threw out a poster that was close to being finished. "More."

Craig pinched another sample of glitter from the container, spreading it over the five variations of the prom posters. Ready to grab another sprinkle of bright dust when Tweek's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Wait." Tweek's gave a final look to the art pieces and smiled. "They're finished."

Craig let go of the glitter with a laughing scoff, finding the completion more than relieving. Also glad they will get the last five minutes of lunch to themselves. "It only took us two days."

"That's pretty confident usage of the word 'us' for someone who only handed me things." Tweek said with a little smirk, his hands beginning to carefully roll up their entries for the prom poster submissions. It wasn't a contest, but Tweek was treating it like one. A very important one between just Wendy and him, if she wins he will go soak in the bathtub for the next four years and wonder where he went wrong, but if he wins he'll walk around the school halls feeling like a king.

Craig jabbed at Tweek's side with his elbow. "Hey, I cut out like fifty fake trees with the kid scissors because you wouldn't trust me with the big ones. I deserve at least a little credit."

Tweek laughed at the playful nudge and gave a hum, his eyes still on the posters he was trying to curl away. "Hmm, I'll think about it."

"Better do something about it." Craig took one of the posters and started to roll it up.

Tweek only responded with a smug. "Make me."

Craig let his eyebrows raise at the proposition, it was one he was open to, but knew that Tweek probably wasn't meaning it that way. Plus he didn't know if it was just him or the whole room felt it, but the mood suddenly shifted. His shirt suddenly feeling like too much clothing in the warm room.

After the first moment of subtle shock and hot flashes, Craig's eyes peeked out their corners at Tweek. His tutor wore a bitten smile, the small piece of gnawed on lip being more apparent than it has any other time Craig's seen it. Maybe Tweek did know what he meant?

Just as Craig was about to answer a knock came at the door to the student room. Their eyes widening to stare at the opaque windows mystery contestant that made the sound. The small knock resulting in creating a small state of panic for the both of them. Tweek freaking out because they weren't aloud to be in the room during school hours and Craig being a little shook he was more than ready to start chatting up Tweek.

"Do you think they heard us?" Tweek whispered to Craig, his eyes not leaving the door.

Craig shrugged and whispered back. "I don't know. Is it a big deal if they did?"

"We might get detentions." Tweek's fast beating heart thumping a bit faster at the possible ramifications.

Craig nodded with a shrug. "Oh, not too bad."

There was another knock and the both of them went quiet.

"Tweek? Are you in there?"

Tweek frowned at the familiar voice. "Token?"

"Oh, just that asshole." Craig said out casually before got a hard swat on the arm.

Tweek gave Craig a glare. "Don't be rude."

"You said you guys had a fight." Craig motioned his arms between the door and Tweek as he said. "And usually if you're in a fight with someone, it's because they're an asshole."

Tweek rolled his eyes at the almost convincing argument. "You don't even know what we were fighting about. For all you know I could have been trying to sell children to cannibals."

"And I'd support you completely." Craig said back with a golden smile.

Tweek bit his lip in his usual efforts to keep Craig from thinking he's funny. "Screw you, I'm opening it." Craig faked a gag at the news, turning back to the poster he never finished rolling up.

Tweek opened the door and peeked his head out, Token's eyes meeting his quickly, an awkward wave being the only movement between them. The tutor eyeing the hesitant stance and Token's hands behind his back with a frown. Tweek thought he could see something behind his back, but was unsure from behind the door.

It had been a couple days since they fought, so to say Tweek felt a little awkward seeing him would be an understatement.

"Hey."

Tweek's lips gave a fleeting twitch up. "Hi."

"Uh... here." Token offered forward a green paper bag from behind his back. Tweek looked at the thing with widened eyes, not expecting a peace offering with this reconnect. Tweek stepped forward to take the bag. Taking a quick look back at Craig before closing the door behind him. The bag was heavy as he fully took it, making Tweek want to open it and see what his present was.

"Tweek, I'm sorry you got upset the other day. I would never try to offend you." Token took a step forward and gave a sympathetic look to the blonde. "I miss sitting with you during council meetings and walking together between classes." Token took another step forward. "You're my friend, I hate not talking to you."

"I appreciate it, Token." Tweek smiled, although he didn't quite understand what Token meant by 'sorry you got upset'. "I hate not talking to you too."

"Then can we talk again?" Token said with a smile, his eyes completely taking in Tweek's face and just how perfect he was.

Tweek looked at Token for a moment.

He couldn't exactly remember the argument quite well, he just remembers being angry about something. Maybe it was too long ago and not big enough of a deal for him to recall. He had been hanging out with Craig all weekend so anything bad from the past week-for the most part-got pushed out. He guesses it couldn't be that much of a sin to forgive him.

Tweek shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Token's smile grew and the taller male went to hug the blonde, but stopped as the bell for the end of lunch rang. Instead he took a step back and just clapped his hands together to cover up his weird half attempt at a hug. "See you in sixth."

Tweek smiled and gave a wave. "Seen you then."

Tweek watched him walk away for a moment more before he looked into the bag he was given, it had a container in it. Tweek frowned and pulled the container out of the bag. Grimacing when he saw the disgusting perishables that he had been given as a 'I'm sorry' present.

"Tweek, I packed your bag for yo-What the fuck is that?" Craig said as he walked out the student room, halting upon seeing the weird balls of death that were thankfully contained in a glass container.

Tweek turned to Craig and traded the strange ballsies-that he had in fact been cursed with before in his life-for his bag. Slinging the satchel over his body as he said a slightly disgruntled. "My apology."

"Looks like a shit apology." 

"Probably a merman."

Craig's face cringed at the answer. "Out of any of the mystical creatures, you'd wanna bang a fish?"

Tweek punched at his arm. "It's not a fish, it's half person." He took out the keys and gave a look around the hallway. "Plus, I only want to because I'm curious how it would happen."

"You still wanna-" Craig lowered his voice and dipped his head to Tweek's to make the words resound more with the tutor. " _-fuck a fish_."

Tweek rolled his eyes and swatted at the face that was much too close to his ear, walking into the room and setting his bag down on the table. "Alright asshole, who would you do?"

Craig walked in and gave a look up to the ceiling as he thought. Going through his own short list of mythology to try and find a suitable fuck buddy. Clicking his tongue as he finally thought of an answer. "A leprechaun."

Tweek's mouth gaped for a moment, just a single moment, before it closed and he put his hands up. Not wanting to hear the ridiculous reason that Craig must have made for engaging in intercourse with a leprechaun. "You know what? No. Not gonna indulge in finding out why."

"What? Come on." Craig tossed his backpack into his chair and turned to shut the room's door, turning back to Tweek expectantly. He had prepared a whole punchline in his head and was excited to use it on the unsuspecting tutor. Craig put his hands on his hips and said with a toothy grin. "Just ask."

"No way. Those things look too much like gnomes and gnomes freak me out." Tweek motioned Craig to sit down, just wanting to start the session and forget the conversation. "You can screw your leprechaun in peace."

Craig came forward and moved his bag to the floor, sitting in his seat with laugh. "I'm sure it will keep you up as much as that stain on my grey shirt does."

Tweek shook his head and started to take out some books and binders.

He was right, but god Tweek hates it when he's right. So he tried his best to keep his mind away from the burning question, looking at his planner for the upcoming week's work and deadlines.

Glancing at the words written in blue, those blue reminders were big tests and quizzes for Craig. Giving a little sigh of relief upon seeing only one blue reminder for a quiz on Friday this week. His mind looking at the bright green lettering across his planner and thinking of a small man dressed in green and Craig. The image burning into his eyes and causing irreversible damage, damage that might only be reversed by the answer Craig may give.

As Tweek was opening his mouth to finally just give into the stupidity of Craig's answer, little pitter patters of rain started to sound against the window. Tweek turned towards the natural light source that was starting to turn dim.

It started with a few light taps that soon became an applause from the sky, each little droplet hitting and making their own special sounds against the glass to create the chorus of voices know as rain.

Tweek frowned at the downfall. "Hm. Can't even remember the last time it rained."

"Four months ago."

Tweek let a small 'pfft' squeeze past his lips and turned to Craig to make a joke about how serious and quick he said the answer, but held off upon seeing his face.

The previously playful face and attitude having vanished and been replaced with a much more uneasy look. His eyes were further opened with anxiety as he watched the window turn into a waterfall made out of the sky's blessings. His brows deepening into an apprehensive stare as his jaw clenched then unclenched.

Tweek looked at Craig's face, waiting for the punchline or a sudden change that would show he was just thinking about something disturbing. His lips turning down as Craig continued to stare in an almost panicked state at the window. "Are you okay?"

Craig's eyes met Tweek's and relaxed slightly. "Yeah." He started to pull out his own things to work on for the hours ahead. "Fine." 

Tweek stretched as he wrapped up the last sentence on his last piece of homework, letting out a mewl as he reached rather far in his back bending. Checking on Craig for the thousandth time this session.

Ever since it started raining he had been... quiet.

He had no questions today even though he wasn't getting past any problems, he was chewing on his pencil too much for there not to be a problem and he looked downright sad. 

It was driving Tweek insane just sitting and saying nothing, but he knew Craig would just brush him off. The whole session Tweek had tried to ask if he needed help, but Craig would say he's fine and doesn't need help. Which was a complete lie because Tweek had also seen Craig try the same problem seven different times and fail each time. 

Tweek sighed and let it roll off of him.

He couldn't force Craig to share if he didn't want to and the session was over if Craig didn't have any lingering questions he's been holding off.

"Alright, think I'm gonna head out now." Tweek said, piling his papers together and resting them in his binder before placing them into his bag. Walking past the quiet teen as he went to the door, trying to give Craig one last chance for homework help. "Just text me any questions you ha-"

" _Don't._ " Craig's hand clamped onto Tweek's wrist and halted the blonde on his way out. 

Tweek looked down, partly startled by the sudden outburst from Craig, but upon looking at him, he was more startled. His student's face was completely contorted into worry for Tweek, the brows further scrunched than the first time that Craig heard the rain and his lips were tight from being pulled down by an unknown emotional weight.

"I mean-" Craig let go of Tweek and cleared his throat. "It's dangerous to drive right now."

Tweek stared back at Craig with a frown. 

It was raining pretty hard, but not enough for Tweek to be worried about, let alone Craig to be worried about. He could drive through this rain just fine and he was sure Craig could too. There wasn't a real reason to worry about the sudden onslaught of water from the sky, yet here Craig is wanting him to sit out the heavy drizzle. 

Tweek shook his head and held onto his satchel tighter, readying himself to make a second attempt for the door. "Craig, it's fine. I'm a safe driver and-"

"Please." Craig interrupted, his pleading stare was heavy, a look that weighed life or death based on Tweek's decision. 

Tweek took another minute to look at his student, the mildly alarmed eyes turning Tweek's mind enough to stay put. With a conceding breath Tweek let his shoulders slump and his bag fall off the edge of the downward pointed slopes. "Okay."

He sighed as he dragged himself and his bag to one of the walls of the student room. He didn't want to sit in the uncomfortable plastic chairs for another minute, the scratchy and odd odored carpet winning his favors. 

Tweek's back thudded back against the wall and slid down it, settling with a quick thump as his butt hit the floor. Letting his head lean back against the wall and his eyes shut, appreciating the sound of the rain despite its bad effect on Craig.

Almost being able to fall into a divine-made coma from the unrhythmic tapping that the falling water was making, but the small sounds of shifting and a tiny gust of air interrupted his appreciation.

Tweek opened his eyes and looked to where the small movement in the air came from. 

His eyes finding Craig who was now sitting bashfully next to him, the averted eyes only moving to look at the blue backpack that sat on the floor. Craig pulled it between him and Tweek to place his elbow on. The move seemed like it wanted be casual, but it wasn’t as Craig’s arm cradles the bag to him as he rested on it. 

Tweek side-eyed the bag between him and Craig and gave a soft smile to his student. "Ready to talk now?"

Craig gave a quick glance to Tweek. Seeing the non-judging smile and understanding Tweek was just trying to talk as usual, but he kept his head down. Giving a quick shake 'no' as he stared back down at the ground. "Not really."

"Fine by me." Tweek said with a quick nod, shaking his hips back and forth in his spot to get further settled. Once again having to just let Craig's lack of sharing roll off him and just sit in silence. "I won't have to hear you complain about the videos I watch." Tweek reached for his bag and pulled out his phone. 

Craig gave a small half-smile and leaned back against the wall. 

Tweek started pretty tame with some funny videos that Craig did peek in at every now and then, but then he found himself going down a rabbit hole of crafting videos. A lot of them being redundant and making what was supposed to be more simple, harder. Nonetheless, Tweek was hooked on the little niche of videos.

That's when the first cough of thunder spooked them both.

It was a casual sound, one that wasn't as aggressive as it could be. It was actually quite tame compare to how thunder usually was in South Park. But on the second outburst, the thunder came more of a hack. Something was stuck in the sky's mouth and it needed it out.

Tweek was left unbothered by the continued hacking of the sky, merely continuing his videos and watching a woman cut up a lipstick to put into lotion to make an even crappier lipstick.

As Tweek was about to completely zone back into his mindless videos, he heard thunder sound again, but also a quick sound of fear.

Each time the the thunder would cough, hack or wheeze out, Craig would jolt as if it were the first time it had struck. His legs or arm twitching or him making a tiny little noise that hid in the back of his throat. Tweek wasn't sure if he had been doing it the whole time, but right now the noises and movements had become very apparent.

_He's scared._

Tweek didn't want to look at Craig as he thought through this development that should have been obvious from the start. He didn't want to accidentally give Craig a look that made it seem like it was a big deal or make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. Both ways potentially causing some amount of hurt to the other male. 

He wanted to help, but couldn't think of anything to say that Craig would respond well to. Craig wasn't known for his words nor was he known for taking words well. So Tweek trying to say something that would ease his discomfort seemed a little impossible at the moment. 

An idea popping into his head that seemed like it could go either way. 

Tweek braced himself for any reaction and scooted closer to Craig, moving the bag between them away before looping his arm through Craig's. Tweek ending his grand gesture by handing Craig his phone with a simple. "Here."

Craig took it, but looked at his tutor with a frown. "But-Wha-Why are you-"

"My arm's tired." Tweek cuddled up to the side of Craig, hoping to get his mind off the outside forces by forcing him to look at the phone and hopefully grounding him with the less than subtle touch. "You hold it."

Craig wanted to rebuttal and reject the phone and hold, but when another shout of thunder came, he jolted less. 

The two arms snaked around his one and the heavy head against his shoulder made him feel less able to jump. It was like Tweek had created a weighted blanket for Craig made purely of his own limbs and head. He'll probably never admit this, but he really likes the feeling of Tweek on him. 

Hours later when the storm finally subsided and the thunder had stopped, the two boys stood and began to grab their things to finally leave school. The only noise between them being the small sounds of shuffling to get up and a few groans from the two because their joints were too still in an unfamiliar pose. 

While leaving the room Tweek finally heard Craig say a meek. "Thanks."

"Obviously mine is going to win." Wendy boasted to Bebe, sliding her poster submission onto the table where all of the 'to be judged' posters were accumulating. Her eyes laughing at a plain looking poster done by Kevin Stoley that will most certainly be rejected the second it is looked at. "I mean the competition isn't exactly stark." 

Bebe gave a look on the table and nodded along with Wendy, finding a few rolled up posters off to the side of the pile. "These all look so boring compared to yours." 

Wendy flipped her hair over her shoulder, the proud smile only growing as she went on about her own submission. "I mean half of these look like they only took ten-minutes. I spent at least a day on mine." 

"Oh wow!" Bebe picked up the poster she had unrolled to show Wendy, blinking to try and adjust to all the little details that had been put into the prom advertisement. "This one's amazing! Look at all the little cut out trees!"

Wendy looked at the poster and felt her mouth drop. 

The poster was in fact amazing and had a bunch of tiny cut-out trees making a forest at the bottom of the poster while a fake sky was made of glitter and dark blue paint on the top. Various stars in the painted sky created the words 'A Night In The Woods'. 

She grabbed the poster from Bebe's hands and started to search it for a name. "This better not be his."

Bebe didn't take a second thought to the snatching of the poster as she found another three rolled up posters next to the spot she found the first one. Unfurling the siblings of the creation and being more astounded by the other ones that had been made. "This person is amazing! They made a bunch of posters." 

"No!" Wendy shouted as her eyes finally found the bordering on frantic handwriting painted on the bottom of the poster. Her hands gripping the sides of the card stock harder and wrinkling it as she turned her head to the other poster Bebe held. "He made more than one?!"

Bebe looked at the bottom of the poster she held for the name of ‘he who should not be named’ and nodded. "Yep." 

Wendy crumpled up the poster in hand and threw it towards the large trash can. "He is _not_ winning this time." 

Craig did his usual saunter into the lunchroom, planning to just grab a burger then go sit behind the school to eat. Ignoring the coos from the different people that passed him by, only doing a small wave to Jimmy Valmer as he passed by. That dude was tight as shit and managed to make Craig laugh. That was a rare case, usually Chef and-just recently-Tweek could make him genuinely laugh. 

"Oh, _hey there_." 

Craig gave a passing glance to the voice as it spoke, regretting his choice instantly as he saw Wendy. Knowing that one moment of eye contact meant he was going to get talked to. 

He gave a sigh as Wendy started to walk with him to the lunch line. "Hi Wendy."

"Hey Craig." She gave a sidestep to be shoulder to shoulder with the tall brute. "How's your day going?" 

Craig rolled his eyes at the small talk and mumbled a short. "Fine." Only giving a second glance to the girl next to him as something that wasn't a shoulder hit against his back, but not caring enough to give a full look. 

"You're not going to ask about my day?" Wendy asked back, her voice faking a hurt tone. 

Craig groaned inwardly and huffed a short. "How was your day?" Not in the mood to entertain her and listen to her attempts of getting them to hang out. 

"Well, it was pretty good, but there was just one minor inconvenience that bothered me." Wendy gave a shrug and walked with Craig into the burger line, purely just standing there for the conversation with him. "But I'm going to fix that myself."

Craig raised an eyebrow at the cryptic and strange story that bordered on oversharing. "Sounds fun." 

"Keep it single filed!" The lunch lady shouted directly towards Wendy and Craig, obviously being peeved that her line is out of order. 

Wendy scoffed and turned towards Craig with a cutesy smize, keeping her eyes on him as she took the spot in front of him. "Don't worry, I'm not stealing your spot." 

"Wasn't even worried." Craig monotoned out, wondering why the girl was even in the lunchline as she turned her back to him. Feeling his eyes roll again as she did a rather drawn out action of pulling up her jeans. 

Craig opting to zoning out as Wendy started to talk about the different aspects of her day, he only had space for one other persons day in his mind and it wasn't hers. His eyes briefly landing on Wendy's bag before he did a double take to see if he saw the contents correctly. 

Her bag was for the most part zipped up except for the four rolled up tubes sticking out of the unzipped parts. 

Craig squinted his eyes to see if he was seeing things correctly, feeling his head tilt subconsciously as he eyed the small traces of glitter that made a film over the rim of the tube. If he didn't know any better Wendy had Tweek's posters, but that couldn't be right. 

Wendy wouldn't steal Tweek's posters would she? 

He knew that she was a bitch, but he couldn't believe that she would steal Tweek's posters for seemingly no reason. 

Wendy gave a quick whip of her hair, the movement jostling her bag and letting loose a face leaf from one of the tubes openings. 

That was definitely Tweek's.

"Hey Wendy?" 

The girl turned around, stopping her own story that she was telling to see what Craig was saying. "Yeah?"

"That's a really cool bag." Craig said, trying his best to actually sound interested in the bland and purple Jansport with an embroidered 'WT' on it. 

Wendy turned her head over her shoulder to see the complemented bag, pride seeming to swell in her at the comment. "Thank you! I got it last week because I got a pen stain in my other one." 

"Wow... tough." Craig nodded and motioned to it awkwardly. "Would you mind if I... tried it on?"

Wendy turned back to Craig with a mildly perturbed face. "Um... Sure!" She started to free her arms from the loops of the bag and took it off with a steady strange look to Craig, but not complaining too much because Craig Tucker was starting conversation with her that involved him trying her backpack on. 

Craig took the back and gave it a quick look, peering down one of the tubes and seeing sparkles and fake leaves aplenty. Nodding to himself as he slung the back over his shoulder. "Yeah, this is right."

"A good fit?" Wendy asked with a flirtatious smile, trying to make the comment sound like it was bordering on sexual to get this interaction going in a more fun direction. 

Craig took a step back from her and nodded. "Perfect fit." 

"Uh-" Wendy watched Craig start to back away with her bag still in possession. "Craig... my bag?"

Craig tightened the strap on his shoulder as he gave a wave to the girl. "Just gonna borrow it." 

He then turned from Wendy to start running out the lunchroom, he didn't think that Wendy was going to chase him down and try and get the bag back, but he needed to be prepared for it. 

His sneakers starting to bark as rubber slid past linoleum to speed Craig forward and away from the girl that was now shouting for him to come back and return her slightly stolen property. Being slowed down by the few people who were in the way of the exit to the lunchroom and being forced to forcibly push past them. 

He wasn't able to see who was running after him, but it was definitely someone-excuse him-someones. The doubled sound of running filled his ears, two stampeding runners coming after him. Silently praying it wasn't the shitty security that the school had to mandate the halls and make sure that students were in class. 

"Halt for security!" 

_Of course._

"Fucking snitch." Craig cursed to himself as he ran down the most populated hall he could find. People who didn't eat in the lunchroom spilled out into the locker lands and made the perfect battlefield for this chase. 

Craig jumping and heralding over the sitting students who ate their lunches, almost tripping over a girl who laid on her stomach on the floor and swung her legs back and forth. Her foot hitting his as he jumped over her and almost causing the face plant of the century for the delinquent. 

Allowing himself to do a quick over the shoulder to see the old guards try and leap over the scattered teenagers the way he had. Laughing slightly at the sight of one of the men tripping, but quickly regained his focus upon seeing the second guard cleanly make the landing over the obstacles. 

Craig did a sharp turn as he got to the end of the hallway, seeing the new expanse in front of him as a new challenge to blast off from the closing in authority. Craig was about to let his legs beat off the ground faster with the newfound terrain, but a voice stopped him. 

"Craig?"

Time and motion slowed down as Craig turned his head for the voice, his eyes focusing on the crazy ball of yellow hair and green top. Those key aspects making Craig recognize the person as Tweek. 

Almost coming to a stop as he fully took in the blonde's face, his feet pattering on the ground like a revving engine ready to speed off at any moment. Taking in the scene of Tweek innocently standing at his locker and just pulling out his lunch. His mouth opening to give the polite greetings he usually gives his tutor in these situations, but time had caught up with him again and a shout cut him off. 

"You two! Stop right there!" 

Craig grabbed Tweek's hand and started to run again. "Shit, now you're a witness." 

"A witness! Craig, what the hell is going on?!" Tweek tried to pull his hand back from the other male and stay in his spot, but was failing miserably. Although when he saw the security guard who thought he was affiliated with Craig and is hoping to catch and give them some type of punishment, Tweek began to run alongside his student. 

Craig let go of Tweek's hand once the blonde was bolting down the halls with him. "You know-" Craig panted out, his lungs unprepared for talking because of the running. "-the usual."

"God damn it, Craig! It's always something with you!" Tweek shouted to the male, wanting so bad just to have a newspaper and knock Craig over the head with it like the ill-behaved dog he is. "You better have a good explanation!" 

They reached the end of the hall and as Tweek went to turn right Craig grabbed the front of Tweek's sweater to turn him left and bring them down the same direction. Both of them now bolting down one of the last couple hallways available to them. "It's better than the one's I usually have." 

Tweek rolled his eyes as he sprinted, not noticing the glances he was getting from Craig as they ran together. The taller male more than impressed by the job Tweek was doing at running with him. 

The distraction of Tweek was almost enough to knock Craig off his intended path, but just as they were about to pass their hideout Craig wrapped his arm around Tweek's waist and pulled him to a stop. Clotheslining him in the process, but it didn't matter as Craig opened the door to the janitors closet and shoved Tweek inside. Quickly checking down the hall to see that no one was seeing them enclose themselves inside before rushing in and shutting the door. 

When the door finally shut, only the heavy sounds of breathing echoed in the small space. The two of them panting for air and making the atmosphere warm and heavy. Their breaths mingling in front of their faces and heating the skin that lay exposed and already flustered from the previous exertion. 

Their breathing halting as a shadow darkened the already dim light of the closet through the opaque window. Their fast beating hearts feeling too loud as the shadow drew a bit larger, thus closer, to the door. 

The shadow gave a look around before moving on from the door and off somewhere else. 

Tweek recovered first from the chase and mild heart attack, giving a push to Craig's chest as he recalled the outrageous events in his head. His previously tired state not relieving any of his anger and only letting it simmer and be prepared to boil at will. "Craig, I was just chased by security!" 

" _Sorry_." Craig winced out. 

Tweek shook his head. "No, not just sorry, Craig." Tweek ran a stressed hands through his hair. "Just once could you see a potential path for chaos and _not_ go down it?" 

"I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for a good reason." Craig attempted, bringing the bag on his back forward to show Tweek. "She sucks anyways."

Tweek looked at the bag and noticed the gold threaded initials on the front of it, immediately knowing what started this goose chase. "Craig, I know we don't like her, but you can't just go around stealing her stuff!" He gave a huff of anxious air and clenched his hands tight in front of his face, the hands wanting to reach into his hair and tug, but holding off the urge. "There's consequences to things like this!" Tweek did a small spin, there wasn't enough room for Tweek to do his usual stressed pace because of the lack of space so he could only give a distressed twirl. "You might get off clean because she likes you, but you can't count on that!"

Craig pulled out the posters as Tweek continued his rant, dropping the purple bag as he held the rolled up submissions towards Tweek. 

"I mean, for all you know she may want to press charges and then you'll have to go through a court date then you-yo-y-y-" Tweek's mouth stuttered to a stop as he saw the rolled up tubes in Craig's hands. Not sure if he was seeing what was in Craig's hands correctly and looked up at him for a further explanation. "What? Where did you-"

"She took them." Craig said with an ashamed breath of air, wanting to get out the explanation before Tweek thought he stole them. "So I got them back." 

Tweek's anger and worry for Craig fizzled out with the words, his stress hunched shoulders fell as he looked between the posters and Craig. He stood completely stunned by the new developments in the story that led to Craig taking Wendy's bag. 

Craig gave a bow of the head as he thought about what Tweek had said. "I didn't really think it through and I know I should have, but I was just remembered how hard you worked on these-"

Tweek pushed the posters in his hands to the side and threw his arms around Craig's neck, squeezing the male close. Not caring about the fact he is accidentally stepping on a few of the posters as he clutched Craig close. Their still hammering hearts pressing together in the embrace and beating against one another. Craig finally finding the mental capacity to put his hands on the other's waist and fully enjoy the hug. 

Tweek kept his voice low as he said. "No ones ever done anything like that for me before." Tweek began to pull back, but as he started to move away from Craig, he let his lips give a quick press against the side Craig's face. Pulling completely away from Craig with a soft smile. "Thank you." 

Craig smiled back at Tweek, trying really hard to act like his face wasn’t feeling hot and he wasn’t feeling light on his feet all the sudden. "Anytime." 

The two sat in a silence for the next couple minutes. Neither of them had anything to say, but they were content to just stand there and stare at each other with their dumb smiles. The presence of the other being enough for him to be calm and happy.

Unsurprisingly, Craig was the first to break the silence. 

"You know, I only got _one_ kiss for _four_ posters?" Craig gave a toothy grin as he stared down at Tweek. "That math doesn't really add up." 

Tweek gave a laugh and a weak hit to Craig's chest, his nose scrunching up in an unreal disgust as he said. "Don't be weird about it and you get what you get." 

Craig chuckled at the face Tweek made and latched his hands back onto the blonde's waist. "I'm not being weird, I'm being fair." 

"Or you're just being greedy." Tweek laughed back, his hands resting themselves on Craig's chest. 

Craig shook his head and pulled Tweek closer. "I didn't realize that wanting fairness was greedy." 

"You're lucky I gave you anything." Tweek gave a shake of the head at Craig as he said this, biting his bottom lip as he looked up at the other male with live-wire eyes. The green orbs bouncing between the dark eyes as he thought about his next move, Craig's thumbs holding firmly onto his sides making excitement bubble in his stomach. The feeling in his stomach and hormones telling him his decision. "But... I'd like to think I'm fair." 

Craig grinned at his tutor, turning his head slightly to the side. "And I'd like to think you're fair too." 

Tweek smiled as he started to move forward again, but stopping just before Craig's cheek."I just want it to be known that I still do not condone your actions from earlier today." 

Craig snorted, but gave a nod of his head to the statement and said in a faux serious tone. "Of course." 

Tweek gave a quick peck to Craig's cheek, pulling away to further second-hand scold Craig. "And just because I'm doing this doesn't mean that what you did was good. I'm doing this because what you did was _nice_." 

"Uh huh." Craig nodded again with Tweek's words, giving Tweek a smize of sorts as he said. "And I won't do that again." 

Tweek's lip went forward and pressed against Craig's cheek again. The duration of the smooch lengthening on this one, but only by a fraction. Tweek pulled away from Craig’s face and said. "And instead of dealing with Wendy yourself, you should have asked me for help or gone through the proper authorities." 

"Alright." Craig took one of his hands from Tweek's waist to hold it up in a salute. "From now on any Wendy problems will go through the police first." An overly-pleased smile on Craig's face as he held up the three finger salute. 

Tweek rolled his eyes and pulled down the hand that was making the salute. "And last but not least, you have to return her bag by before lunch ends." His lips connecting with Craig's face for the fourth and final time for the day. Tweek deciding to give a little extra pizzazz to this one and humming out a little 'muah' as he pulled away. 

"That I don't agree with." Craig said with a frown, not wanting to give back the girl who is both a snitch and a bitch her bag back. 

"Too bad." Tweek laughed and pushed at Craig, thinking the coast is beyond clear and they can go now. "Time to get out of the closet." 

Craig gave Tweek a squeeze to his waist. "You're one to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to pull back... I couldn't 
> 
> also is that foreshadowing I smell?


	20. The Sneezing Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey remember that one time where this was supposed to be a 10 chapter fic? Haha I do

"So I told him that it was wrong, but he _still_ put it on the slide!" Tweek shook his head at his partner for Bio, completely infuriated by the lack of care on the other students part. "Which means we're most likely going to- _at best_ -get a C on the project."

Craig shook his head at the story, responding with a monotone. "No way." 

"Yes way!" Tweek squeezed the book he was holding against his chest tighter. "He's gonna make my grade drop below an A if we get anything less than a C."

Craig continued with his heartfelt sympathy by responding with another monotone answer. "You poor thing."

Tweek nodded and let himself lean back against the return counter behind him, his shoulders moving with enthusiasm as he went on. " _I know_. It's like this guy doesn't even care, you should have seen the stuff I corrected without telling him." 

Craig gave another shake of the head. "I really don't know how you cope." 

"You're telling me! I mean this guy doesn't even have an excuse! His notes have everything right and-" Tweek stopped talking and immediately glared at Craig, his mouth dropping in offense. "You mocking asshole, you haven't even been paying attention to what I'm saying!" 

Craig smiled at Tweek's sudden realization of reality. "The sad part is-" Craig leaned in to Tweek's bubble to whisper the depressing knowledge that. "-I have been paying attention." Backing away with a quick glance over Tweek's shoulder, finding he was getting an odd look from across the room. 

Tweek gave no attention to the quick glancing and instead paid Craig a half-hearted hit to the chest. "I bet you can't even remember what his name is." 

Craig looked away from the problemed onlooker and leaned closer than usual into Tweek, smiling down at his tutor as he said a sweet. "Guy that smells like beef jerky 24/7."

"Pft-" Tweek laughed and gave another swat to Craig's chest, shaking his head with an amused smile. Craig placed his hands on the counter behind Tweek, his face much closer to Tweek's in this position. "His name was Jeremy, but..." He gave another laugh before sighing out. "Yes, I did say that." 

The two continued to chat with one another, something that shouldn't have been taking place in the library, but at the library's help desk of all places. But no one is going to step up to the duo. People in the library knew not to mouth off to Tweek. Especially since he has good ties with the librarians and the library aids here, but people also weren't about to complain about the noise coming from a 6 foot three bundle of threats and frowns. 

It wouldn't matter if they got complaints anyways, the two were in their own little world as they joked back and forth about the strange things Tweek says during a tangent. The only thing taking away from the emersion of their space was Craig's consistent looking over Tweek's shoulder into the distance. 

"What do you keep looking at?" 

Craig looked back down to Tweek and smiled like the giddy troublemaker he is. "Don't look now, but ever since we started talking-" He gave another look over to the troubled friend as he leaned down to the tutor's ear, whispering. "Token's been staring at us." His smile only growing as Token's face scowled further from the new space taken up between Craig and Tweek. 

Tweek watched Craig pull away with a confused moue. "So what? It's just Token."

"You have to see his face." Craig kept his eyes on the seething student across the sea of book carts as he placed one of his hands on the tutor's waist. The resulting face scrunch being worth the odd touching as a small scoff of laughter fell from Craig's lips. "He looks like an idiot." 

Tweek clicked his tongue, not liking the harsh name calling put on by Craig nor the sudden confidence Craig had holding onto him. "Don't be a jerk." 

Then-even though he didn't like Craig's enjoyment of an odd faced Token-he let his head tilt to look at the mirror that hung on one of the bookshelves behind Craig, trying to position his head correctly to see the teen's face. His head finally finding the correctly angle with a muted cackle. 

Having to cover his mouth with his hand as he caught the wide eyes and furrowed brows. Token looking like a disgruntled bird as his head did sharp and quick movements to see what was happening. It didn't feel right to be laughing at the situation or the face, but Tweek still let a chuckle slip through the cracks of his fingers. 

" _Jesus_ -" Tweek bit on his lip to suppress another bubble of laughter coming from Token's expression. "Is he okay?"

Craig laughed with his tutor as he gave another look to Token. "He'll live." 

"Live from _what_?" Tweek squinted as he watched Token give a harsher gaze, daggers seeming to shoot out his eyes at about the same time Craig's hand on his waist gave a firm squeeze. 

Craig smirked down at the oblivious male. "Take a wild guess." 

Tweek looked away from the mirror to Craig. Actually taking the minute to try and think of what could have put Token onto this death stare of the both of them, but ultimately giving up as he found no good answer. Shrugging as he said. "Bad grade on a test?" 

"I thought you're supposed to be smart." Craig said with a raised teasing brow. 

"Oh shut up." Tweek punched at Craig's chest. "Speaking of which we should be studying right now instead of doing... whatever this thing with Token is." 

Craig's smile fell at the reminder of why they came to the library. The school had finally caught on to the fact that their student room's door wasn't working so they had to relocate to the library for the time being. "Just one more minute?"

"No. No more terrorizing my friend." Tweek gave a swat to the hand on his waist. "Let go to our table and learn all about rhetoric." 

Craig grumbled and gave another look over Tweek to the still fuming teen. "Rhetoric sucks." 

"I'm not putting that damn thing on!" 

" _Yes_! You _are_!" 

"Let go!" 

"No!" 

Any other time in life, someone would probably interject on the small battle happening, but the sight of a large teen trying to wrap a jacket around a smaller teen gave off more of a 'I'm gonna just watch and see how this goes instead' reaction in people. 

"Put the fucking jacket on!" 

Tweek writhed around in Craig's fabric holdings, trying to escape from the swaddle that was being made around him. "No! I don't need it!"

"Yes, you do!" Craig did his best to keep the jacket around Tweek's body, but the smaller male continued to squirm in the fabric. "You're shivering!" 

Tweek squatted to the floor, the jacket letting him slip through and be released of its arms. Crawling on the pavement of the student parking lot to try and get away from the male trying to clothe him. "No... I'm-I'm vibrating!"

"Oh my god, Tweek!" Craig chased after the crawling teen, wanting to laugh at Tweek's absurdity, but couldn't due to the concentration he had to keep in order to get this jacket on Tweek. "What do you have against jackets?"

Tweek continued to circle around his car on all fours while Craig followed close behind him. "Nothing, I just don't need on-Ah!" 

Craig wrapped his arms around Tweek's waist and picked him up so he was up right, quickly taking the body in his arms and planting it on the hood of Tweek's mom mobile. Tweek thudding back against the shiny silver with _ka-kerk_ , the steel and aluminum cover to the engine not liking the sudden weight. Two additional thudding noises accompanied the lay down. Craig's hand quickly pinning down wrists that were trying to throw away the jacket. 

Craig let out a huff once Tweek was planted over the hood of his car, saying with an exasperated tone. "Just _wear_ the jacket." 

"No." Tweek's chest expanded up then down as tried to calm himself from the monkey crawling he was doing before. "Screw your jacket."

Craig rolled his eyes at Tweek's defiance-even though he is most certainly shivering and not vibrating-releasing the wrists and just tossing the spare jacket on top of Tweek's sprawled out self. "Fine. Freeze." Backing away from the cold male with a cross of the arms, watching with a frown as Tweek slid off the top of the cars front. "Enjoy your chattering teeth." 

"I will." Tweek said with a defiant huff, taking the jacket and holding it towards Craig. 

Craig didn't take the covering back, he instead pushed it closer to Tweek. "Just take it to put my mind at ease." 

"Fine." Tweek walked to the driver side of his car and opened it, throwing the jacket in before he sat in the seat. "As you can see I have the jacket now." He then gave a shooing motion to the male in front of his open car window. "So you can go now."

Craig gave a half-hearted wave to Tweek. "Alright, I'll go." He started to walk away towards the beat up truck in the parking lot, only pausing to call out to his tutor. "You better put that on when you get cold." 

"Yeah, yeah." Being Tweek's only response, watching for a second more as Craig got into his car. Giving another unneeded wave as Craig's car left the parking lot and went down the street towards him home. 

Tweek sat on his phone for a minute (or at least he would like to say a minute, but sometimes he gets carried away), trying to finish reading the 'backhanded' post Wendy apparently made about the poster fiasco. It was nothing too interesting, but still enough to make Tweek be entranced for another couple minutes. 

A small chill blew in like a ghost, unannounced and unwelcome. The intruder of the space causing goosebumps to raise all over Tweek's body, the feeling causing more bodily reactions of cold to occur up Tweek's spine. 

The feeling made Tweek stop reading and look at the blue zip up that Craig had been throwing at him. His hand reaching out before quickly pulling it back. 

"Coats are for wimps." 

Craig stretched as he sat up in his bed, yawning out a complaint for being up so early in the morning. He could never get used to getting up early nor will he ever naturally get up early, but his alarm clocks less than gentle reminders of school forcing him up. 

He went about his usual morning routine of haphazardness, not giving any task any particular care or attention. Eating his toaster waffle and listening to his mom do her morning business calls with a content boredom. 

Making his way to school with the same amount of content boredom, but tiny little rumblings of excitement tickled in his stomach as he thought about getting to have his morning talk with Tweek. 

They had started meeting up in the Science hallway and walking around the school til school started. It started with them coming the same time one of the days and waving at one another, then it turned to them coming and waving at each other on a set date or time. Then they would pause and talk, now they walk and talk. 

Except today, when Craig turned the corner to Tweek's and his usual spot, he found no blonde. Thinking the occurrence was odd, but not completely strange because traffic was a real concept that existed. Also thinking that it's fine because he would see Tweek between gym and English, so he carried on with his day. 

Well, he did until a certain, previously salty, friend came bumbling into his path.

"Thank god I've found you!"

Craig side-eyed the person who's intruded on him looking inside of his locker like this, quirking a brow at the high-strung and verging on stressed Token. "Never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Trust me, it won't happen again." Token then took a step closer to Craig to speak. "It's Tweek, I'm worried. He isn't at school." He pulled out his phone and showed the fourteen calls and voicemails he left the tutor. "He isn't answering his phone and it shows he hasn't even gone on social media today." 

Craig wanted to remark on the fact that Token left so many calls and didn't get the hint the first ten times that Tweek wasn't gonna answer, but the fact Tweek hadn't gone on any social media was weird. Also finding the fact Token knew when Tweek was on social media or not strange, but he knew Tweek is obsessed with anything to do with trends, hacks or funny compilations. "That is weird." 

"Exactly." Token then gave Craig an expecting look. "So go check on him." 

Craig furrowed his brows at the male, his eyes narrowing in the process. "What do you mean?"

"Go to his house and check on him." Token gave a worried frown to the swirling thoughts of why Tweek isn't answering. "He might be hurt." 

Craig agreed that Tweek not nursing his phone could mean he isn't in a good situation, yet he isn't about to be taking orders from the Vineyard Vines commission worker. "Why aren't you?" He gave a look up and down to the male, seeing if there were any ailments to him that would prevent him from doing the task. "I'm fine to do it for Tweek, but why don't you go yourself?"

Token readjusted himself and stood with his head higher, as if offended by the proposition. "I don't ditch." 

Craig squinted further at the teen, having so much to say to the male in front of him, but holding off. Tweek probably isn't in a great place right now if he isn't on his phone, the well-being of his tutor coming before the odd morals of Token. 

Craig pulled up to Tweek's house with a look to the driveway, his car was sitting in the space untouched. Tweek-supposedly-was home if his car was here, but sometimes Tweek did like to wander on foot to random places of the town. Yet it would be unrealistic to think Tweek ditched school to wander around a Whole Foods. 

With a click of the seat-belt and a push of the door, Craig was walking out of his truck and over to the front of Tweek's house. Eyeing Tweek's window for any movement or lights on. Seeing none as he looked up the two story home. Craig gave a sigh and stepped up the couple steps up to Tweek's front door. Looking through the stained glass that decorated an oval of the door for more signs of life in the already desolate house. 

He knocked first. 

No response. 

He rang the bell. 

No response.

He clicked his tongue and rang the bell again. 

Still nothing happened. 

He pulled out his phone and first sent a simple 'Where are you?' text to Tweek. Impatience nagging him until he clicked on Tweek's contact again to call him. 

It rang four times before it went to voicemail. 

Craig called one more time and got the same voicemail message from a clear toned Tweek telling him to say his message after the beep. 

Craig put his phone in his back pocket and looked at the mailbox. 

He didn't wanna say he was worried because that would imply that something could be wrong, but the silence on Tweek's end stressed his mind. 

The only place Tweek could be is inside the house. 

Craig looked at the mailbox that was screwed into the wall next to the door. "He's not gonna like this." 

Opening the dark brass box and reaching his hand to the bottom his fingers plucked up a lonesome key. A key he had seen Tweek use only once in front of him when they had walked around together and Tweek hadn't brought his keys. 

He inserted the key into the door and with a turn of the wrist opened the entrance. He placed the key back in its rightful spot and turned towards the now open home. He gave a cautious look around the inside of the home as the door opened, stepping in with one foot, another look around, then the other foot. 

"Tweek?" Craig called out, closing the door behind him as he walked further into the house. "You home?"

He walked around the first floor in search of any sign of life and found none, his callings getting him no response either. Eventually thinking to himself that he should head upstairs, he trekked up the 12 steps that curled up the middle wall of the house. All of the doors on the second floor’s landing was closed, but he knew which one was Tweek's. 

He came up to the door and gave a small knock. "Tweek?" 

Holding his breath for any sound that might come from the room he pressed his ear closer to the door. The faint sounds of sheets rustling came from the room, the noises were enough for Craig to assume someone was in there and that that someone was Tweek. He slowly turned the door knob and peeked his head into the room, his eyes widening at the sight that was laying on the bed. 

Or the sight that was _half_ laying on the bed. 

He had found Tweek, just not in perfect condition. 

A large mountain of multi-colored blankets were tossed onto the plush white bedspread, the stack of sleep coverings moving like they were breathing. Slowly raising higher into the air before falling back down into their usual sedentary state, but upon further inspection Craig could tell that the mass of blankets had not become sentient. They were merely just laying on top of a half in bed and half not in bed person. A golden head of hair falling off the edge of the bed and hanging down lazily, a single arm accompanying the hanging head. 

Craig looked at the scene partially amused and partially more concerned, wondering what could have his tutor in this condition. "Tweek?"

A low raspy grumble came from the-presumably-sleeping person. 

Craig took a couple steps forward to squat in front of the soft breathing head. "Tweek? You okay?"

The arm's hand that hung off the bed twitched slightly, reacting to the words with the least effort possible. 

Craig frowned and tilted his head to try and see Tweek's upside down face. "Were you extra tired today?"

A deep throated 'mhm' came back. 

Trying to see how far gone the blonde is, he questioned. "Want me do to anything, Babe?"

A grumble came before the hoarse words. "Don't call me that." 

Craig smiled and stood up from his squatting position. "You're not too bad then." He gave a look to the nightstand and saw a bottle of nighttime cold medicine, a third of the contents were gone. He sucked some air through his teeth as he picked it up. "Feeling sick?"

"Yeah..." Tweek's hand twitched more, the arm starting to move towards Craig's like a reanimated corpse's. 

Craig read that back of the bottle and read the amount that is supposed to be given and how frequently. Knowing that Tweek might have overdone it and caused such a drowsy state. "I wonder if you wearing a jacket has anything to do with this." 

The hand that was moving itself towards Craig stopped moving and turned to a middle finger. 

Craig laughed at the weak hand's gesture and put the bottle of syrupy medicine down. "Still don't know what you have against coats." His eyes then spotted a green cased phone on the floor next to the nightstand, only imagining how many texts and calls must be left on it from Token. 

"Hrmrmmm." Tweek grumbled out, his voice just as low and thick with congestion.

Craig looked at the sick male and prescribed what his mother usually prescribed. Water and sleep. He leaned down to pick up the phone and set it on the nightstand for better access when Tweek becomes conscious enough to use it again. "I'm gonna get you some water and then I'll leave you alone again." 

Tweek's head gave a shake no as his voice growled out. "Nerrr." 

"By the sounds of it you need water." Craig argued back. "I'm not making you drink a shit-ton or anything."

With that Craig left to the kitchen to grab the proper refreshments for the still grumbling sick person. Coming back with a water bottle and a half-filled glass of orange juice, hoping some flavor will get Tweek to perk up. 

"Orange juice or water, coat hater." Craig said as he placed the drinks on Tweek's nightstand.

Tweek gave an unpleased groan. "Screw you." 

Craig smiled at the teen that was still part-toppled out of his bed. "Water it is." He then nudged at Tweek's shoulder with the water bottle. "Try and sit up." 

"No." Tweek somehow managing to make a whiny and scratchy voice combine to make a cute rebuttal. 

Craig put a hand on Tweek's shoulder and started to try and push him fully onto the bed, wanting at least for Tweek not to be half off half on. "Come on, I'll leave right after." 

Tweek stayed still for a moment, as if contemplating on the offer. Finally moving on his own with a croaked. "Fine." 

Craig watched the street-side attraction of Tweek slowly trying to lay from his stomach onto his back. The tutor acting like a marionette being controlled by a third party as different joints flopped his body around. His head finally hitting back against a pillow with a gruff groan, the tired eyes finally peeking open. 

The blue-green orbs slowly moving around the room before finding Craig. "Give me the orange juice."

Craig picked up the glass and sat on the edge of the bed, motioning with his free hand for Tweek to sit up. "Sadly, I don't have a lot of trust in you to drink this." Tweek frowned more than he previously was and propped himself up on one elbow. "So I'll just hold it." 

"Sounds fine." Tweek’s voice cracked out. His head tilting up as Craig brought the glass to his lips, both of them (Craig more so) careful to move with the other so there was no spilled orange juice. Tweek managing to get down the glass with a few awkward gulps. Craig giving him a congratulatory 'nice' as Tweek finished.

"Alright," Craig set the glass down on the nightstand and stood from the bed. "I'll head out now. Your phones right there and there's some water." He put his hands in his pockets as he looked at the barely awake teen, the spent eyes watching him with only a few slow blinks in between. "Just call if you need." 

Tweek gave a slow shake of the head, the sides of his face tapping the pillow while he shook his head. "No." 

"What do you mean 'no'?" Craig picked up the water bottle and showed it to Tweek. "They're right her-"

"Come here." Tweek's voice was thick with fatigue and Craig could tell the rest of his body was too. The exhaustion apparent in the tutor's hand that was reaching up and out to his student. 

Craig looked at the hand then the drooping eyes, he was standing right next to the bed, he couldn't come much closer. "What?"

Tweek's hand made a grasping motion. "Come here." 

Craig set down the water bottle in his hands and slowly reached his fingers to prod against Tweek's. His fingers poking against Tweek's before the other teen's fingers went through and interlocked with his. Craig looked at the strange sight with large eyes, unsure why Tweek suddenly felt like holding hands was normal for them. Noticing in the hold that Tweek's hands were cool despite having been in bed and warm for most of the day. Craig wondering if Tweek had a window open in the room and he just couldn't feel it.

Tweek's hand started to pull on Craig's hand while he was distracted with the odd temperature, the weak pull managing to make Craig stumble a step closer to the bed. Even with his legs pressed against the edge of the mattress, Tweek continued to pull on Craig's hand. 

"Tweek, this is as close as I can get." 

Tweek shook his head again. "Lay down." 

"Uh Tweek, I don't think..." Craig went to pull back is hand and refuse, but the big eyed stare he was getting from the sick blonde stopped his words and decline. Tweek usually had a way of swaying Craig in his direction, but right now with his sick state and tired eyes, Craig felt more drawn to follow Tweek's direction than usual. "It's just that... you know." 

"Craig." Tweek tilted his head on his pillow as he looked up at him. "Just lay down."

And that was the first time Craig has thought to himself that he might be putty in someone else's hands. 

Craig released Tweek's hand and walked to the other side of the bed, the final conceding moment being him tucking his legs under the mountain of blankets and laying his head against the headboard. 

As he was trying to find a position that would leave him the most out of Tweek's space, the sick tutor came and laid his head on Craig's open chest. Giving a soft content sigh as he seemed to finally find peace in laying on top of Craig, his eyes fluttering shut once again. 

The taller male holding his arms up in the air as he looked at the person who had just decided to make camp near his ribcage. Setting down the right arm on his stomach first, but unsure of where to place his left arm because Tweek was laying where he would usually place it. After some awkward waving of the arm around he finally placed it on top of his head. 

He gave a long breath as he stared at the now sleeping male, it's not like he really minded Tweek on him, he just knew that Tweek would probably mind.

Craig groaned to himself as he imagined the scolding he'll get when Tweek gets up, surely he'll get the usual 'why, why and why'. Maybe he can sneak out before Tweek wakes up and he'll think it was some fever dream? That way he won't have to hear Tweek complain-rightfully so-about the second time Craig came unannounced and uninvited into his house. 

"Mrmm." Tweek grumbled out in his sleep readjusting himself closer to Craig, his arm coming to clench onto the front of Craig's sweatshirt. Fingers clutching the fabric with more strength than Tweek had done anything else today. 

Craig looked at the hand shaped lock that was now placed on his chest. "Of fucking course." 

Craig played on his phone for a couple hours, waiting for Tweek to change positions into something he could escape from. Although his plan wasn't working the best, anytime Tweek would move or readjust himself he would only snuggle up closer to the noirette. This left Craig only further in trouble for when he would try to leave, trying to detach Tweek from him would have to involve an intense medical procedure at this point. 

Then a small clicking noise in the far off distance caught his attention, the noise making him put his phone down for a second. Placing it on his chest as he listened for any more strange noises. Being able to hearing faint thudding approaching the door, he put the previous head arm around Tweek's shoulder. Unsure of what thing could be making that noise and ready to-

"Tweek, You haven't been answering you're phone so I've come to check on you!" A loud voice said out to the room. 

Craig winced at the loud voice, wincing because Token's here now- _just want he wanted_ -and him calling out to Tweek might wake up the ill boy. His eyes finding Token standing in the doorway with just as much annoyance. The male held a large arrangement of flowers in a glass vase, the flowers sticking out being too long and large for Token to see over. 

"Hello?" Token walked a few steps forward into the room. "Tweek, I said I've come to check on you."

Craig glanced at the stirring blonde and gave a quick and hushed. " _Shut up._ "

" _Tweek_?" Token started to placed down the flowers, but as the flowers came out of view and Craig laying with Tweek came into view he jolted back. The vase almost being a casualty as Token back up before properly placing down the glass full of flowers. "Craig! What are you-"

" _Hush!_ " Craig yell whispered. "He'll wake up."

Token stopped, but gave an intensely scrutinizing look as he surveyed the scene, his lips turning further down that Craig had ever seen someone scowl. "Let go of him _now_."

Craig raised his arms into the air to show that he had no strings to pull on Tweek, that in fact Tweek was the one holding onto him. "I'm just laying here." 

"Just get the hell out of his bed." Token seethed back, the occurrence obviously being something that Token would detest. 

Craig glared at the male. "He told me to lay with him." He saw Token starting to open his mouth to reject what was being told to him, but he spoke again. "It's crazy how he has his own free-will to say what he wants and doesn't." 

Token closed his mouth and glared down at Craig with more heat than he was looking at him with before. The heat boiling in his eyes before it calmed and the tension inside him seemed to relax. "You're just a phase."

"What?" Craig sharpened his brows at him. 

"You're just a phase." Token stood prouder and more arrogant. "School has three months left. Soon him and I won't have to see you anymore and you'll just be a memory." 

Craig bit his cheek, the couldn't be true. Craig and Tweek surely must be closer than that and Craig has to be closer with Tweek than Token. He isn't sure what their relationship consists of, but it isn't anything good based on what Craig's seen. 

"And you're just jealous." Craig said back. "You want to be where I am." 

Token's face hardened and said nothing. 

"You _could_ be laying here with him." Craig said with a small motion to Tweek laying on his chest. "But you chose not to." He then looked at the flowers on the nightstand. "You didn't think he was worth ditching for, but he's worth bringing flowers." 

Craig looked at Tweek. "You could be there for him, but you're not." 

"That's not true." Token clenched then unclenched his jaw. "I’ve been there with him everyday then you just walk up and act like he's yours." 

"That's the problem." Craig leaned himself forward slightly to argue. "I don't think he's property and you do. And don't give me 'I'm there everyday with him'." His gaze intensified as he stared down Token. "When his parents didn't show up, did you comfort him?" 

Token's mouth dropped open, the new knowledge coming to fruition causing his mouth to bob for an answer. "They haven't-h-he-"

"Did he even tell you?" Craig thought about what Tweek said when he told him about his parents, the blonde telling him not to tell anyone about the visiting guardians. "Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable telling you." 

Token took a step forward, a sudden flare of anger striking through him, his voice raising slightly with the accusation. "He has no reason to feel uncomfortable." 

"What if he does?" Craig said back, his voice becoming louder in reaction to Token's.

Token took a step closer to the bed to look down at Craig. "He would tell me." 

"Would he?"

"Yes, he would."

"Obviously he wouldn-"

"Mrhm." 

The small sound stopping the fighting males and making them both set their eyes on Tweek. Their anger dissipating for the moment as they stared at the mewling being. Both waiting and wanting to see if he woke up or not. 

"Craig..." Tweek's arms wrapped themselves further around the male. "Stop being so loud." Tweek then settled back into a peaceful slumber with his face burrowing into Craig's sweatshirt.

Token looked at his friend and felt his temper rise again, needing and wanting to leave the situation. He pulled out the small card that went with the flowers and placed it on the nightstand with a heavy hand. 

"Tell him I visited."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be a part two to this chap because I feel that everything I want in this 'day' would be too much to put into one 😅
> 
> Also I drew the scene where Craig and Tweek are in the library if ya wanna check it out. 
> 
> https://rytherlover.tumblr.com/post/640009960567209984/ah-yes-more-art-of-my-own-fanfiction


	21. The Collegiate Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Otters hold hands when they sleep so they don't drift away

The sound of the tide coming slowly in then slowly out took Tweek out of his dreaming and into a more lucid state. The white noise of the water breathing in, pausing, then breathing out made his whole body relax further in its spot. The waves floating him upwards then downwards as he stayed still, each inward pull raising him and each outward push lowering him.

Tweek liked the ocean, it was calming.

His eyes began to peak open, blurry shades of blue coming through his corneas and registering as him indeed being by the ocean. The saturation of the blue becoming higher as he stared out among the crumpled waves.

Then he heard a sound that had been there the whole time, but he had just pushed aside, a rhythmic thumping. It was strong and healthy, but also light and calm. Each thump pounding against his ear gently.

It sounded like a heartbeat.

The ocean had a heartbeat.

_Wait a minute._

Oceans don't have heartbeats.

Tweek shot up in his bed and looked down at what he had been laying on, his eyes widening as he saw a sleeping Craig laying below him.

"Oh my god!" Tweek shoved the male off the bed in a quick spastic reaction, Craig falling off the bed with no more than a strangled 'wha-'. "Why the hell are you in my bed?!"

Craig groaned from the floor, sitting up and holding his back. The pain sitting on his tailbone from falling on it paining him as he tried to stand. "You told me to, asshole! Didn't have to push me off the bed!"

"You would push me if I just _appeared_ in your bed!" Tweek shivered, his body had been released from the cocoon of the bed and left him alone in the harsh temperatures of his room. Wrapping the blankets around him in an effort to recapture some of the heat that was lost. "And what do you mean 'I told you to'?!"

Craig crossed his arms as he looked down at his tutor. "I mean, you told me to come into bed with you, so I did." He squinted his eyes at Tweek. "Do you not remember me coming in or giving you water, at all?"

"No-w-well-I don't know..." Tweek huddled the covers closer, the heat he had before still missing and not seeming to come from these blankets. "I thought you were a fever dream or something like that." Tweek laid back in bed with an exasperated huff, letting go of the wrappings he had made around himself and covering his eyes with the palms of his hands. He started to shake his head as he thought about the male standing next to his bed. " _God_ , Craig."

Craig watched as Tweek kept his face covered, standing awkwardly as he waited to be shooed away. Bracing himself as Tweek uncovered his face and looked at him with tight eyebrows.

"Come here."

" _What_?"

"I'm cold." Tweek pouted, his anger and annoyance with the situation still evident in his voice. His hand giving a single quick pat to the bed as he stared with passive down turned brows, the whole scene creating quite the oxymoron. "And..." His voice lowering and eyes averting further. "You're... warm."

Craig let a laugh choke out of him, giving an incredulous look towards his tutor. "Now you want me in your bed?"

Tweek's face splashed with color as he threw a pillow towards Craig. "Don't say it like that! Don't come in if you're gonna be weird."

"No, I'm gonna come in." Craig sat back onto the bed and smirked as Tweek's burnt face grimaced, finding the flushed color too nice not to keep on his tutor. "Gonna come right in."

Tweek cringed further and pushed at the male coming to sit down with him. "Stop being gross! I'm going to dis-invite you into my bed."

"Too late." Craig settled himself fully onto the previously sat on sheets, making sure to scoot extra close to Tweek. "I'm all the way in."

Tweek grabbed a pillow and shoved his face into it, letting out a muffled. "You're a curse."

"More like a blessing." Craig nudged Tweek's shoulder with his own, hoping to get Tweek's face out of the pillow. "You were half-way out of your bed when I got here."

Tweek sighed into the silk pillow, unimpressed by the gallantry. "Oh wow. My hero." He lifted his head and gave Craig an unimpressed stare. "I'm so glad I was able to trust in you to get me my water and keep my bed warm."

"Heh, if I didn't any better." Craig gave a playful glare to Tweek. "I'd say you're trying to imply I am not trustworthy."

Tweek smiled and reached up to tug on Craig's hat. "Yeah like I'm gonna trust a guy that wears bunny ears all the time."

"Hey!" Craig gave Tweek's arm a less than subtle jab of the elbow. "My hat is not bunny ears."

Tweek gave a push back to the side of Craig. "They so are."

"I'll have you know that this hat makes me more approachable." Craig retaliated with a push back to Tweek, slightly throwing the blonde to the side.

The tutor leaned on his elbow away from Craig and about to give the student the push of a lifetime, but his eyes caught a strangely colorful addition to his nightstand. His nose also noticing the new fragrance in the air near this color pop.

Tweek turned his head to the bouquet on the nightstand and let his eyes widen, the array of pinks, yellows and oranges being too much to take in with unwidened eyes. Looking at them for a moment more before turning to Craig, a flutter in his stomach guessing who gave the flowers. "What are these?"

Craig looked at Tweek then the flowers, the fun feeling he previously had falling as he thought about the giver. "Romeo got you them." He crossed his arms and leaned back against the headboard, watching Tweek sit up to inspect the flowers with a frown. "There should be a love letter with it."

Tweek glared at Craig as he picked up the aforementioned love letter, his bad digestion feeling going away. "Stop saying stuff like that." He looked towards the card and began to open it, giving a shiver as he finally got it open. "It's weird."

"Don't get mad at me." Craig leaned towards Tweek to see what might be on the card. "He's the one bringing you flowers and getting you cards."

Tweek's eyes glanced over the card smirking as he found no declarations of love nor any secret burning passions that Token has been withholding. "Platonically, no love here."

"I don't believe it." Craig grabbed the yellow card with matching multi colored flowers all over it, the cheesy smiling face of a daisy saying to get well soon. His eyes reading the short paragraph on how worried Token was and how he hopes Tweek has a speedy recovery from his cold. Craig catching at the very end of the card a little heart then Token's name next to it. "Ha! A heart!"

Tweek snatched the card and threw it to the nightstand, giving a pointed brow to Craig. "That's enough. Leave our friendship alone, weirdo."

"Fine, fine." Craig then side-eyed the flowers, clearing his throat before he mumbled. "Bet those are your favorite flowers."

Tweek rolled his eyes and flicked Craig's arm. "Jokes on you, they're not." He looked over at the flowers and gave a shrug. "Look like them though."

"Then what are your favorites?" Craig asked, keeping his eyes on the bundle of dying florets. Not sure why he would ask nor care about the answer, but the question still coming out all the same.

"Chrysanthemums." Tweek leaned back with Craig and looked at his bookshelf, trying to spot a particular book among the clutter of others. "They remind me of this book my mom used to read me, it was called Chrysanthemum."

Craig nodded as he tried to think of a tiny Tweek being read a story, it was a sickeningly sweet image. "What was it about?"

"It was about this mouse named Chrysanthemum who hated her name because she got teased about it being weird and long." Tweek smiled to himself as he spotted the book on the shelf. "But in the end she likes it because her favorite teacher said she had a long name too. It's like one of my favorite stories."

Craig nodded along with the story, mimicking Tweek as he looked around the room. "Is it because your name's weird?"

"What the fuck, Craig?" Tweek turned to him with a dumbfounded look, his eyes showing offense and eyebrows showing a slight anger. "We were having a nice moment."

Craig put his hands up. "It was just a question."

"A rude question." Tweek huffed and settled further in his spot. "What type of basic bitch name is Craig anyways?"

Craig laughed at the offense taken by Tweek, deciding to let it sit at Tweek continued to rant about how boring Craig's name is and if anything he has the weird name. The tutor started to say his name in all sorts of voices, the high pitched one Tweek aired out making Craig feel warm. 

His eyes continued to survey the room, doing a much more thorough job of taking in the little Tweek designed details. He had gotten a pretty good look around the first time he snuck in while being chased by bikers, but this time he paid attention to the blue and gold triangle pennant above Tweek's closet.

"Benver University?" Craig said aloud to himself.

Tweek stopped his rant to turn to Craig, not sure if he heard the interruption correctly. "What?"

"I didn't know you were going to Benver University." Craig stared at the pennant in an odd disbelief. Tweek had the smarts to go anywhere and do anything and on top of that he had the money too. Why Tweek wouldn't go far away from Colorado where he could thrive and cure diseases was mystery.

Tweek followed Craig's eyes to find the red and gold march that hung on his wall with a single pin pressed into it. "Oh, yeah. I am."

"I'm surprised you're not going somewhere far like New York or California." Craig looked at the side of Tweek's face, catching the apprehensive stare the blonde held with the pennant.

The tutor gave a weak nod, his lip getting bit in the process before being released back into the wild. "Well, they pretty much offered a full ride." He then looked at his hands, weaving and unweaving the fingers . "I like the idea of paying for college all myself and... the in-state tuition price is nice."

Craig nodded. "Makes sense I guess." Except it didn't make sense to him and he thought that Tweek belonged in the Amazon Rainforest researching and ending all of the world's crisis'. Craig cleared his throat and head, shaking away the odd thoughts. "So what are you gonna major in?"

Tweek clicked his tongue and turned to Craig with a wincing smile, his face heating with color as he looked at the student. "I have no idea." The color of his face deepened further and he looked down at his lap again. "I'm undecided."

Craig furrowed a brow at Tweek. He didn't understand why Tweek would feel so negatively affected by that, he supposes it's because Tweek usually has everything in a tight mannerly order that runs as efficiently as possible. But Tweek is... Tweek. He could decide to be a doctor when he's forty and it would work out for him.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about." Tweek peeked at Craig. "I mean you're talking to the guy who doesn't even _know_ about his future in the slightest." Craig laughed to himself as he thought about how close the school year is to ending, partly due to this conversation and partly due to Token's kind words earlier. "Even if my grades were good, I wouldn't know what I would want to do."

Tweek sat for a moment thinking about it, a small tick going off in his brain to add that problem to the Craig to-do list. Processing first what Craig had originally said. "You're right, I shouldn't feel like it's embarrassing." His bit his cheek and felt that heavy feeling on him again, the one that was brought up in conversations like these. "But it feels so important... and me not knowing what to do feels..." He let out a sigh and shrugged. "...It makes me feel wrong and like I've messed up."

"I get that." Craig sighed, despite being on very different ends of the spectrum, he felt that same inevitable failure over his head from some unknown force of the world. "You feel like you missed a class on life... or in my case failed it."

Tweek nodded, letting a small smile quirk up at Craig's self-deprecating joke. "Yeah, or I just didn't take notes when I was supposed to."

The two sat for a moment basking in the fact that they had a whole lot more in common than they originally thought.

"You know what, Tweek?" Craig stared at the pennant for another second before looking at Tweek. "It's okay."

Tweek looked at him with a slightly raised brow. "What?"

"It doesn't matter that you don't know." Craig smiled at his tutor. "You're smart and just... _fucking relentless._ " Tweek laughed at that and bumped shoulders with him, Craig glad to have gotten Tweek's spirit lighter. "You'll be just fine."

Tweek let his head droop slightly to Craig's shoulder, the subtle action making his stomach whirl. "And you'll be just fine too."

Craig cocked a brow and looked down at Tweek. The tutor not being able to see the action, but being able to feel it.

"I mean it." Tweek held his pinky up, his head picking up, but not backing away from Craig. "I promise you, you'll be fine. _Heck_ , I'll even help you find a career path."

Craig looked at the small finger then Tweek's insistent face, the male obviously wanting Craig to take this pinky promise seriously. "Sounds about right, you telling me what to do." With a small laughing exhale, he grinned and brought his own pinky up to Tweek's. "And I promise you'll be fine... and I'll do my best to also help you find a career path."

The small fingers locked together in a tight embrace while the two looked at each other.

" _The pact is sealed_." Tweek narrowed his brows and pulled Craig's pinky lock close. "Now we need a blood offering."

Craig snorted and shook his head at Tweek. "And you called me weirdo."

It wasn't more than three days later that Craig woke up feeling under the weather, no doubt getting it from sitting close to Tweek for an extended period of time while he was sick. Craig made sure to send a strongly worded text to Tweek for giving him his minor sickness. His throat angry at him for doing this to him, but his eyelids much more relaxed about the situation. The eye coverings threatening to close and stay closed every other second.

His phone dinged with a text.

He rolled over to the other side of his bed, feeling weak as he held up the phone. He squinted to see a text from Tweek.

Tweek: _Here to visit if you want._

Craig: _Key's in the plant. In the basement._

After a few seconds he could hear the familiar noises of someone walking onto the porch and into the home. Listening further to the footsteps coming near the top of the basement. A few lazy blinks later he sees a pair of blue jeans in his line of sight.

"Hey Craig, you were right that one time. You have a filthier room." Tweek squatted to get to his level. "You feel okay though?"

Craig nodded and rolled onto his back, hoping to sit up for his company. "Just _dandy_." His voice lower and a completely new level of deep with the scratch in his throat. A subtle smirk coming to his face as he saw Tweek in all his jean and sweater glory. "You skipped school for me, Babe?"

Tweek fought off shivers and pulled his bag forward to rummage through it. "Actually, everyone was sent home early because of a bomb threat." He then pulled out a folder and a book. "Like the good friend I am, I brought your homework."

"You're despicable." Craig let himself plop back into his bed, no longer trying to sit up for his tutor. "First, you friend zone me and then you bring me homework."

Tweek rolled his eyes and placed the folder on the nightstand. "Fine, like the good _fake_ -boyfriend I am, I brought you some light reading and questions to go with it."

"That still sounds pretty bad to me." Craig huffed, grabbing the second pillow on his bed to pile on top of the first one. Making a little ramp to tilt his head up so he doesn't have to strain his neck to see Tweek.

Tweek held up the small book and smiled. "Well, what if I read it to you?"

"I guess that's better." Craig moved himself to one side of the bed, leaving an obvious space for Tweek.

The tutor eyed the spot then looked at Craig, breaking the spine of the book as he bent the first page open. "I don't think so, Tucker."

" _What?_ " Craig's face scrunched up. "I did it for you."

Tweek laughed then licked his thumb, turning to the next page were the title and the words actually started. "Then you got sick." He did another bend to the book to keep it open on its rightful first page of reading. "I don't plan on getting sick again."

"Is your _fake_ -boyfriend not worth it to you?" Craig half-groaned, giving a small smile as Tweek sat at the end of the bed with criss crossed legs.

Tweek responded with a short. "No." He sat straighter and cleared this throat, a small smile forming as he read out. "Metamorphosis by Frans Kafka."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chap was so short but took so long to get out ;-;
> 
> Also if you have not read Chrysanthemum, then I highly recommend!


	22. Greasy Sink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 real quick notes before the chapter starts!
> 
> 1) If you haven't seen Grease, particularly the movie, there are spoilers 
> 
> 2) If you have any water, please give it to these two boys because they are THIRSTING in this chapter

"Cervical."

"Good, how about this one?"

"Thoratic."

"Nice." Tweek pointed to the bottom part of the spine that was highlighted in green. "Last one."

Craig stared at the small diagram of a spine that Tweek had printed out then stuck to a flash card. He had gone over that specific part a million times, but it never seemed to stick. He tried every gimmick and trick that Tweek told him, but it never stayed in his head. "Sacrum?"

"Lumbar." Tweek dropped the flash card to the library table they were sat at and gave a pout. "Still can't get that one?"

Craig shook his head. "Sadly, no."

"I'm sure you'll get it before Monday." Tweek picked up the next flash card that showed a diagram of an arm, each of the bones being highlighted in different colors. "And even if you don't, it's just one point for one bone you'll forget about the next week. No big deal."

Craig shrugged. "I guess, but I'll still be pissed because I studied it so much." He looked at the card in front of him and gave a quick name to the three main bones. "Do the next one, I know these."

"I get that, but don't do that thing where you sulk over getting it wrong after." Tweek picked up the next card and showed the diagram of a leg. "How's this one?"

Craig's mouth pulled down at the corners. "I don't sulk." He straightened his posture. "I reflect intensely."

Tweek let a laugh slip and shook the card in his hand. "Should I skip this one or not?"

Craig looked over the card and quickly ran through the names. "Yeah, skip it."

Tweek went to reach for the next card and felt there were none, looking down with a pleasantly surprised smile. "Looks like you just have a problem with the lumbar."

"Ugh, I hate the fucking spine." Craig let his head fall to the table and grumbled to the dead and varnished wood. "Fucking lumbar."

Tweek watched the pity party with a smile, loving how upset Craig was over something he would have never cared about before. "Alrighty then." He started to collect the tossed aside cards to make them into a pretty and neat pile, sculpting the edges in his hands to make a thick block of cohesion. "Unless you have anything else, I think we're good for today."

"I'm good." Craig reached his hands out for the cards and tucked them in his bag. "Walk you to your car?"

Tweek smiled and stood with his bag. "Won't say no to that." The two started to walk out of the library the usual people trying to stop them both from walking and talking, but they continued on.

"You know, I do wonder." Tweek looked up at Craig through the corner of his eye. "Why are you so good at anatomy?"

Craig quirked a brow down at his tutor. "I thought that's what you want."

Tweek bumped his shoulder into Craig's as they walked through the school's halls. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean, when I first started tutoring you you seemed to have a really good grasp on the body." He gave a quick tilt of the head. "I was pretty impressed."

"Hmmm, I _impressed_ you?" Craig hummed with an ever charming grin.

Tweek rolled his eyes and gave another nudge to the side of Craig, this time softer. "Oh please, just answer the question."

Craig laughed to himself and looked forward to the school's front doors that were drawing closer. "I learned a lot of anatomy from Chef."

"Really?" Tweek tilted his head up at Craig, his eyes opening further with the news.

Craig nodded. "He said the only way to really please a woman is to know them inside and out..." He laughed at the absurdity. "So he taught me the inside and out."

"Oh my god." Tweek muttered to himself, shaking his head at the bubbly man who he's come to befriend. "I'm not surprised, but _still._ "

Craig did an awkward two step jog to the door and opened it before Tweek did, leaving it opened wide for the blonde. "He gave me some pretty odd and specific information when I was younger."

Tweek gave a smile and nod to the door opening. "It seems like he taught you everything." He smirked to himself and gave a glance over his shoulder to Craig. "Except the lumbar I guess."

"Oh that's low." Craig stalked over to Tweek, standing over the blonde with a fake intimidation, making himself taller so he could further stare down at the tutor. His intimidation moves never worked or did anything to Tweek, but he still would let himself get into the tutor's space when the time called. "Even for you."

Tweek laughed and lightly hit at Craig's chest with the side of his fist, leaving his hand against him as he looked up with a smile. "For me? When do I ever stoop low?"

"You called my hat bunny ears, you call me a delinquent, you think I eat bland food and you think my leather jacket is dumb." Craig smirked down at Tweek. "I'm sure I forgot something, but those points still stand."

Tweek bit on his bottom lip, he was guilty of all four charges of lowness. "I don't recall ever calling you a delinquent."

Craig brought his head lower to get further into Tweek's space, whispering. "I can sense it."

Tweek gave another suppressed laugh and stepped away from the cocoon they had formed around themselves, continuing their walk to his car. "Still never called you a delinquent."

They reached Tweek's car with only a few more quips and remarks towards one another, maybe two long glances thrown in there. Tweek unlocked the door to his car and got in, rolling down his window to talk to Craig for a final minute.

"Oh yeah, yesterday you said that tomorrow's session is cancelled." Craig leaned his elbows into the open window. "Why is it?"

Tweek eyes popped with a sudden urgency. "Oh! Can you come to my house tomorrow? Like around three or four?"

Craig raised a brow. "Uh... Why? Also the same question still stands."

"There's a guy coming to fix my sink thingy tomorrow." Tweek started to put on his seat belt. "I don't like being alone with the guy that usually comes and I don't just wanna leave and let him be alone in the house. I'd ask Token, but he has tennis."

Craig frowned in thought, wanting to make fun of Romeo's predictable extracurriculars, but instead trying to better understand Tweek. "Sink thingy?"

"You know..." Tweek motioned his hand around in a circle, trying to conjure up the right words to explain the unnamed object. "The thing that cuts up all the stuff in the sink and it makes a loud noise."

Craig's face broke with a wide grin, holding back a laugh at his tutor, quirking a brow as he said. "Garbage disposal?"

Tweek face lit up and he nodded. "Yeah! That! It's not working."

Craig let his head drop to hide the small chuckle that was trickling out his throat, looking back up at Tweek to question further. "What's wrong with it?"

"I'll turn it on and it won't do anything and I even tried cleaning it out." Tweek gave a shrug. "Still doesn't work."

Craig nodded. "Hm." He then gave a pat to the inside of the car. "Cancel the guy that's coming. I can fix it."

"Uh-Wait." Tweek watched Craig start to back up from the car. "What?"

Craig walked away from the car with a wave. "Night, Tweek. See you around three."

"Um... I guess." Tweek gave a final wave to the receding figure. "See you then."

Craig knocked for the third time. He was early, but he wasn't expecting to get kicked out of the house today. Actually hadn't had to storm out or be told to get out in a while, but obviously today was the exception. His mom and him got into a small tiff because of the approaching date and what she wanted to do with the upcoming anniversary.

Just as Craig was about to knock again the door flashed open.

"Sorry! I was working out." Tweek said out of breath, his hair looking crazier than usual and a tad bit sweaty. "You're here early."

Craig glanced at the outfit Tweek wore and smiled, the large sweatshirt and tight black pants looking nice on him. "What were you doing?"

"Just some yoga poses." Tweek stepped back and motioned for Craig to come in. "They were surprisingly hard."

Craig walked in and watched Tweek's figure walk in front of him, the blonde stretching his arms over his head and letting the large sweatshirt rise above his covered behind. Craig having to force his eyes to look up at the ceiling and pull back his primal instincts of gazing at Tweek's butt while it's in those tight pants. "Sounds fun."

"It was!" Tweek turned back to Craig with a beaming smile. "But I think I threw my back out on that handstand thing." He then grabbed onto Craig's arm and pulled him into the kitchen. "Do you really think you could fix the garbage disposal?"

Craig trailed after Tweek with his dragged arm. "I've done it plenty of times at home, something probably just needs to be tightened or jostled with."

"Welp, I got all the tools I could find in the house for you." Tweek let go of Craig and motioned to the kitchen counter that held an odd spread of hammers and screws, the only helpful looking instrument being the small wrench that laid next to a wonky looking screwdriver.

Craig laughed at his assortment and picked up the wrench. "I think I'll just be using this."

"Huh. I guess I'll be putting all of these away then." Tweek started to collect the tools and strange shaped metals off the counter. "So what should I make you?"

Craig shook his head as he adjusted the size of the wrench, giving the tutor a stern glance up from his adjusting. "No. No. _No_ , Tweek. Don't go into a whole cooking frenzy again."

"I won't! I just want to make you one thing." Tweek walked over to the closet near the kitchen and dumped the supplies in his arms into the open tool box. "Just one."

Craig groaned and opened the cabinets that were underneath the sink, squatting down to look at the pipes and plumbing underneath the counter. "Fine, one thing."

"Yes!" Tweek closed the closet and bounced towards Craig as he was inspecting underneath the sink. "What should I make you?"

Craig reached over to the switch next to the sink and gave it a few flicks back and forth, just to make sure no miracle has occurred to suddenly make the garbage disposal magically work. "Whatever you want."

"I have just the thing for that request." Tweek went to the cupboards and started to pull out his wished for ingredients.

Craig started to lay himself down, giving a couple awkward shuffles to stuff himself underneath the counter's piping. "And what's that?"

Tweek gave a happy little hum and continued to bubble around the kitchen, collecting the things he needed for his project. "It's a surprise. When you finish you get to know."

Craig rolled his eyes, but smiled anyways. "Fine."

The two talked back and forth while Craig worked on the mis-preforming garbage disposal. Tweek finishing his treat for Craig and leaving it on the counter. Taking a spot on the floor next to the pair of legs that stuck out from underneath the sink for his new talking spot. The tutor giving a- _purely curious_ -glance to the abs that were exposed when Craig brought his shirt up to wipe his forehead.

"I think I'm done here."

Tweek shook his head to erase the image of Craig's abdomen from his brain, tilting his head to look into the nook Craig was in. "Really?"

"Yeah." Craig started to wiggle out of the space, bringing with the wrench with him as he shimmered out. "Try turning it on."

Tweek waited until Craig was out from underneath the counter before flipping the switch on. Giving a jolt as the metal eating noise of the food destroyer came on, Tweek could never get used to that thing turning on no matter how much he used it. "Wow, you really fixed it."

"Did you doubt me?" Craig asked, wiping the small amounts of water he had gotten on his hands off.

Tweek shook his head at his student. "Some people are so touchy."

"I was just joking." Craig said with a small downward pull of the lips.

Tweek looked up at Craig with a small frown. "I was too. It's from Grease."

"Grease?"

Tweek's brows furrowed down. "Yeah, Grease... _The musical_...?"

"Never seen it." Craig then looked at the single sandwich that was sat on a paper plate, he pointed towards it. "This mine?"

Tweek's mouth dropped down in shock. "How have you never seen Grease, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen! Aside from Twilight."

Craig snorted and walked forward to pick up the sandwich. "Tweek, I've been holding off telling you this, but your taste in movies sucks." He spread open the two slices of bread and saw one side was laid thick with white fluff and the other a smooth brown spread. "Did you make me a peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich?"

"Yes, but that is _so_ not what is important right now!" Tweek pulled Craig to the living room, the male almost losing his sandwich during the pulling. "We are watching Grease!"

Craig groaned as he got sat in the middle of the couch, not wanting to watch any of Tweek's chic-flicks. The blonde had forced him through 20 minutes worth of twilight trailers when his car wasn't working once. Ever since then he cursed when he saw the name Stephanie or Meyer. He much rather just sit and talk with Tweek for the rest of their hang out. "How about your TLC shows instead?"

"No, Craig!" Tweek rummaged around the room for the remote to the TV, digging his hand through the cushions of the couch for the small and easily lost device. Giving a huff and dropping to the floor to further look for it. "This is an important part of culture that you need to watch. AHA!" He held the remote high up in the air upon finding it underneath the couch. "I found it!"

Craig gave up on his dreams of having a day to just simply talk to Tweek and took a grumpy bite out of his sandwich. Watching Tweek plop down into the comfy corner of the couch then flip through Netflix in search of the movie with a frown. He was hardly able to listen to the blonde go on about the different actors in the movie. Tweek talked pretty fast as is, so when he was hyped about something, it only got worse.

"The funny thing is that all of these guys are _way_ too old to be playing high schoolers, but it's still really good." Tweek giggled to himself as the beginning scenes of a beach showed on screen. 

Craig glanced at Tweek's gleaming smile and gave a sigh, deciding to try and actually watch the oily movie; eating his sandwich less upset with this decision in mind. Well, he was less upset until Tweek got a little further into the movie.

"Gah, he looks so good here!" Tweek beamed as John Travolta started to prance around the screen while describing his summer escapades. An obvious use of embellishments in his part of the song compared to Sandy's.

Craig looked at Tweek's excited face then the man on screen that looked oddly familiar, the dark hair, the blue eyes and the leather jacket. He couldn't place what about the guy was so familiar, but there was definitely something.

Maybe he had seen the movie before.

Craig scowled as he watched Tweek bite his lip at the man on screen, the guy making a show of the jacket he was wearing by puffing up the collar. Seeing the blatant hypocrisy, Craig gave Tweek a pointed look. "Why is he a heartthrob with a leather jacket, but when I wear mine, you hate it?"

Tweek let his eyes roll at the comment. "You wear yours for weeks in a row until I have to physical remove it from you and clean it myself." He politely motioned to the singing man and said just as politely. "Danny here, _doesn't._ "

"You're telling me he _doesn't_ wear that dumb T-Bird jacket the whole movie?" Craig retorted back with a done look to the screen.

The tutor clicked his tongue and looked back at the TV. "Well... he does, but he dances and sings high notes while he wears his jacket."

"All I have to do is sing and dance around and you'll think me wearing my jacket is acceptable and attractive?" Craig said back, grimacing as he watched the jacket wearer continue to unfairly flaunt himself around in the leather covering.

Tweek's face tinged with heat, trying to hide the new color with a scoff. "That's not the point. All I'm trying to say is John Travolta is really good looking in this movie."

Craig grumbled, he saw what Tweek was talking about, but it just didn't suit his fancy. "I'm just not that type of gay."

"What do you mean?" Tweek said with a small tilt of the head.

Craig gave a vague motion with his hands. "I'm just assuming that you're a... you know."

"I'm a what?" Tweek gave his full attention to Craig, turning his body that was cushioned into the corner of the couch directly towards Craig.

Craig tapped his foot as he tried to find a way to say what he was trying to say without explicitly saying it. "Uh... You know, when there's a relationship with two guys usually... but not always... sometimes... they will take on certain... 'positions'."

Tweek pouted in confusion. "I'm not sure what you're saying."

"Well, imagine you're dating someone." Craig bit his cheek and tried to think of the best way to phrase this. "And after an appropriate amount of time and trust has been given to the relationship... you guys decide to..." He glanced at Tweek, hoping the blonde would suddenly stop him and say 'oh yeah, now please stop talking', but Tweek just looked at him with the same big and curious eyes.

Tweek gave a circular motion to his hand. "We decide to... what?"

"You decide to engage in... uh _contact_." Craig was struggling to get out his words as he imagined the scenario he was over describing in his head. Giving a shudder to the no faced man in his imagination that was engaging in 'contact' with Tweek. "And during this certain act you would either be on..." Craig raised his hand in the air. "Or you would be on." He then lowered his hand.

Tweek bit his lip, his eyebrows contorting down over his eyes in just as much confusion. "I think I get what you're saying."

"Oh good." Craig sighed, relaxing into the couch.

Tweek gave a satisfied nod to himself as he said. "I engage in hand contact and we decide to high-five and I either go high or go low."

"No! That's not what I was saying at all." Craig groaned and started to ruffle the hair underneath his hat in frustration, wishing he never said anything to do with the subject. "What I meant was-"

"Why don't you demonstrate?"

The interruption made Craig halt completely, his face growing hot and his body starting to feel like it was in a washing machine on the spin cycle.

"You could show me the positions you were talking about." Tweek said so innocently that Craig felt like he was going to hell for the things that he was thinking.

Craig's mouth open and closed like a fish out of water, his mouth dry as he croaked out. "O-On you?"

"N-no, I was just thinking of you just standing and showing me them." Tweek bit on his lip, the corners of his mouth threatening to quirk up.

Craig's face got hotter at the clarification, knowing that it was idiotic of him to think that Tweek would mean it like that, especially if he isn't understanding the basic concept of what they were talking about in the first place.

He stood with an ashamed hang of the head as a woman not named Sandra Dee sang about being Sandra Dee. This really isn't how he thought his evening with Tweek was going to go, but it sadly is the way it is going. Regretting every step he took to get here as he started to move to bend over the couch.

"Pft-Stop!" Tweek started to cackle to himself during Craig's movements, not being able to remain serious anymore. "I was kidding!"

Craig shot up straight and immediately glowered down at Tweek. "You knew what I was talking about the whole time?"

Tweek nodded through laughter. "I didn't think you would go so far."

Craig plopped back down onto the couch with a cross of the arms and a grimace towards the TV. "I'm gonna go un-fix your garbage disposal."

Craig sat- _kinda_ -peacefully as he watched the movie, liking a lot of the songs that were being sung and thinking that the story although cliché, was pretty nice. Once again in the evening he found himself almost able to relax and enjoy the movie, but...

"Craig?" Tweek said, knocking Craig out of his movie trance.

He turned to his tutor with a hum. "Hm?"

"Could you hand me that?" Tweek motioned lazily to something within Craig's vicinity and direction.

Craig looked at the space close to him and found the remote sitting in his area, picking it up and handing it the two spaces to Tweek. "Here."

"No not this, the-nevermind. I'll get it myself." Tweek got up from his spot and crawled over to Craig, reaching over the male's lap to grab the blanket that the seated male just noticed.

It was supposed to be a quick and simple action, but it ended up being neither.

Craig sat completely still with his hands suspended in air as not to touch the piece of art that had suddenly laid itself over his lap. His eyes carefully tracing the figure that was now placed in front of him, the proximity making it impossible to look anywhere else except Tweek's slender frame. Craig looked at Tweek's back intensely, wetting his lips as he followed the downward arch of that gave a graceful rise up to his hips.

" _Lumbar_." Craig muttered to himself as he stared at the dip in Tweek's back, knowing the exact bone to be creating this look and never wanting to forget the blessed bone. His elevated hands wanting to reach out and trace Tweek's back with his fingers. Wanting even more so to memorize each part of the body with Tweek as his personal diagram.

He watched Tweek extend further for whatever he was reaching for, the blonde hips coming closer into Craig's view. Those hips attaching themselves to something more captivating than the rest of the image in front of him. Craig cursing under his breath as he gave a full look to Tweek's rear, marveling in how Tweek's tight pants cupped his behind. Finding it ironic how he had been so respectful before and looked away when he first got the chance, but now he was staring down the blonde like a hyena.

Even as the figure pulled away and left from view, Craig's mind was still stained with the image of Tweek reaching over him. Unable to get rid of the thoughts that accompanied this image, thoughts that wondered about what it would be like to touch him. Not to casually hug the blonde and carry on, but really hold onto Tweek.

"Want some?"

_God, yes._

Craig shook his head and looked down at his tutor that was now sat right next to him. "W-What?"

"The blanket." Tweek held up some of the fluffy white blanket that he grabbed from across the couch. "Do you want some?"

Craig gave his head a second to clear its bad thoughts before saying anything to his innocent tutor. "Uh y-yeah. Sure."

Tweek spread some of the blanket onto Craig's lap and gave a content sigh as he nuzzled himself closer into the noirette's space. Tweek's cheek hitting against the side of Craig's shoulder, blonde locks tickling at the taller male's neck just enough to make him shiver. "Why are you always so warm, Craig?"

The movie was coming to a close in the most cinematic way it could, a big group sing-a-long where everyone ends up finding someone to love. Tweek watching them do their closing do-waps and graceful pirouettes with a small smile, this movie always made him feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

"So that's pretty much the movie." Tweek said to Craig, keeping his eyes on the screen. "I will say, I think it was kind of bogus that Sandy changed for him in the end, but overall it's still one of my favorites."

Craig hummed an affirmative noise, the hand that had at some point snaked itself onto Tweek's opposite shoulder gave a couple soft strokes with its thumb. "I can see why."

"There is a second one if you want to watch it." Tweek laughed as he thought about the sequel. "It's kinda crappy, but if you want to finish your instillation of Grease, I recommend you watch it."

Craig smiled and looked down at Tweek, he was busy admiring Danny and Sandy as they drove off into the sky. He liked looking at Tweek. "What ever you want."

Tweek looked up at Craig to make a remark to the noncommittal answer, but stopped upon seeing how he was being looked at. He knew Craig was looking at him, but he didn't know he was _looking_ at him.

The lack of space between them made it so much easier for Tweek to notice how intense Craig's eyes were. Especially as they bored into Tweek's and made his stomach swirl in that familiar feeling of indigestion. The tutor starting to wonder about the legitimacy of his dairy allergy as he kept eye contact with Craig.

Tweek wanted to look away and get a break from the feeling in his gut, dropping his gaze to the space that sat between them. Wanting to spend the rest of the time memorizing the stitching on Craig's shirt instead of memorizing that Craig's eye color gets more saturated the closer you get to his pupil. Also wanting to hide from Craig's pupils that seemed to dilate as he continued to stare on at Tweek.

Just as Tweek thought he found himself a successful place to hideaway, a warm hand came up to cup his cheek. The hand softly coercing his sight back to the male in front of him and making his stomach begin to whirl all over again. The single and small touch of Craig's hands on him being enough for Tweek to break out in goosebumps throughout his body. He felt hot and cold at the same time, Craig's hand making his whole face flush with heat and body feeling cold in comparison.

He wondered what it would be liked to have Craig touch him, would it feel just as hot? Maybe even hotter?

Tweek bit on his lip and looked away from Craig's eyes to the rest of his face, the eyes still feeling like too much to look at. Instead focusing on the other features of the male's face, his stomach churning further at the ridiculously chiseled jaw that Craig had.

Tweek swallowed the heavy feeling in his throat from the sight as a rogue hand reached up to trace the faint stubble that rested on the sharp angle. The tutor's fingers being gently pricked as he trailed his hand all the way to the bottom of Craig's chin. Tweek almost missing the uneasy breath Craig let out once he reached his chin because of how fast his own heart was pounding.

Tweek looked at the finger tips he rested on Craig's chin, they were really close to his lips. He chewed his lip harder as he threatened his eyes to look above those rounded finger nails. Giving the final leap off the edge as he met green irises with parted lips. Thin, beige and slightly dry looking, but parted lips.

_I wanna kiss you._

Tweek's eyes flashed open with shock of his own thought, his throat closing in on itself and making him cough when air tried to pass through his mouth. He pulled away from Craig and sat forward again, patting his chest to try and stifle the beating of his heart that was impossible to not be heard.

"Uh um-D-Did you say that you were gonna stay and watch Grease 2? I-I think we have the dvd s-somehwere around here." Tweek continued to try and calm his heart while his mouth fumbled out awkward and stuttered words as quick as he could. Hoping the previous events could be overlooked and forgotten if he said enough quickly enough. "I-It really is a crucial piece to the s-story! It shows what actually happened when Danny and Sandy m-met." He went to get up and retrieve the movie, but was stopped by a large hand on the side of his arm. The touch sending his heart into another race of beats and thumps that were most definitely heard by the owner of the hand.

Tweek looked at the hand with big eyes before flicking his sight up to Craig.

"I should probably head out." Craig let go of Tweek's arm and picked up his phone, showing a text from his mom that told him to come home. "We can always watch it some other time."

The smile at the end of Craig's sentence made it too hard for Tweek to respond in his current ball of shyness so he just nodded.

Craig stood up from the couch, looking down with another Tweek crushing smile. "Maybe I could even pick a movie next time?"

Tweek gave another helpless nod, unsure what he should even say with the things that were running through his head.

"Alright. See you Monday, Tweek." Craig said with a small wave.

Tweek raised his hand meekly, the fingers crumpled and misused as he gave his own wave. "S-See you."

Tweek eye's followed Craig as he walked away, the corneas tracking him until he was out of his peripheral. The tutor only letting out his breath when he heard the front door open then close.

" _Oh crap_." Tweek stared at the reflection of himself in the TV with big eyes, shouting to himself as he looked. "What the hell was that?!"

He stood from the couch and paced into the kitchen. "I just thought about kissing him." Tweek gripped the marble island, slightly out of breath from all the running he was doing from his current feelings. "On the mouth."

"I'm not supposed to be thinking about kissing him!" Tweek complained to himself, he looked at the ingredients he used to make Craig's sandwich and screeched further. "On the mouth!

He sprinted to the other counter to grab his phone, ready to call and tell Token what just happened, but stopped. Token hated Craig, he would have a bias and would probably give awful advice in this situation, advice that Tweek really wouldn't want to listen to.

"Oh god." Tweek brewed in his thoughts, trying to think of a logical explanation as to why he would want to kiss Craig. "Alright Tweek, calm down. This is simple."

He looked at the scene of the crime and the tv that was showing the play selection for the movie. "I was sitting on a couch with a guy and we were watching a romantic movie." He took a few nervous steps to the couch, looking at the two indents on the leather that were right next to each other. "We were sitting _close together_ on the couch and watching a romantic movie. The movie must have gotten me in a certain mood and I obviously was just feeling the natural aphrodisiac that John Travolta provides."

Tweek caught the white and fluffy reminder on the floor of why he was so close to Craig to begin with. "Alright, we may have been cuddling." He then spun away from the scene and towards the kitchen again, needing some water. "That's normal to want to kiss someone after cuddling on the couch with them and watching a romantic movie." He turned on the sink and grabbed a glass to fill with water. "That's totally normal."

He started to throw back the glass, chugging down the worries and fantasies that were trying to float around his head. Slamming down his glass with another nod to himself, confirming the fact that the idea was nothing and was brought to life simply through circumstance.

"It would happen to anyone." Tweek gave a calming breath to himself. "Anyone would want to kiss a ridiculously hot guy they were cuddling on the couch with after a love centered movie."

.

.

.

" _Oh shit_." Tweek's head started to swirl again. "Did I just call him hot?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, yes. Yes you did, Tweek.


	23. Sorry, Mom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gets real bleak real fast

Tweek took a deep breath as he looked at the opening to the nook Craig and him had been unofficially reserving as their study space.

"Be normal." Tweek put a smile on his face.

He was ready to continue on like nothing happened because nothing did happen.

What occurred on Saturday was nothing more than an event of circumstance and Tweek was willing to accept that. Even despite the nagging feeling in his gut and head that wasn't as accepting of the dismissal.

He did a couple weighted steps to the opening between two bookshelves, popping his head in only to lose his smile.

Craig wasn't there.

Tweek fully immersed himself into the space and checked his phone.

_3:15 pm_

"He's only five minutes late." An optimistically dim tone to the word 'only'.

Tweek sat down and gave a peaceful look around the room, he loved this special spot of his-and now Craig's-in all it's booky glory.

It was a bookshelf created room in the farthest corner of the library where he sometimes ate his lunch. A small secluded table with a couple of old chairs sat encased within the space, the furniture being different from the chairs and tables that sat outside of the rest of the library. These four pieces seeming to be frozen in time in this secret area.

Tweek's eyes fell on the chair across from him, frowning at the lack of person there to help with their homework woes.

"Hey."

Tweek's eyes perked up and bounced to the chair to the figure standing in the opening of the nook. Excited at first to have his student here, but the excitement falling short upon seeing the condition of Craig.

"Hi..." Tweek sat straight in his chair and sifted over the drained features on Craig's face, his eyes staring at the floor with a tired reluctance and body seeming to be propped on a fish hook. "Uh... you okay?"

Craig nodded silently, walking forward to sit in his chair with a fatigued drop onto the old wood.

Tweek glanced at his phone again, trying to keep his voice soft as he looked up at Craig's wilted state. "You're fifteen minutes late."

"I fell asleep." Craig started to slowly take his things out of his bag, placing his binders on the table one by one. "Sorry."

Tweek watched the lethargic male struggle to take out one of his heavier book and frowned. "Wanna take a quick nap before we start?"

"Thanks." Craig's eyes finally met Tweek's, his eyes showing he was more thankful for the offer than his mouth was. He opened his binder covered with a mirage of skeletons playing the drums, taking the first paper from the front and sliding it to Tweek. A quick plop of his head into his arms followed soon after.

Tweek looked down at the paper in front of him and felt his gut clench, it was his anatomy test. Red marks and scribbles were covering the front of the paper and leaving a big branding F at the top of the page.

"You failed?"

Craig's mass shifted awkwardly, like it was too tired to be ashamed and camouflage itself like Craig usually did when he didn't do as expected. His shoulders hunching before a short 'yeah' was grumbled out.

"Craig, what happened?" Tweek picked up the test and looked over the answers, half of them barely even scrawled out on the page. His frown deepening as he turned it over and saw it was completely blank and the only piece of penmanship was a shaky doodle of a car at the bottom of the page. Tweek barely able to get out his sentence as he looked over Craig's work. "You didn't even finish."

Craig's figure contracted into itself, huddling the arms that were pillowing his forehead closer, the cloak of invisibility that Craig usually liked to have finally coming into effect. Tweek caught Craig's hands giving almost scolding squeezes to his biceps. " _Sorry._ "

Tweek bit his lip, looking between Craig and the test for an answer to his sudden ineptness. It didn't even feel right to scold him right now, he didn't seem right. He was barely looking and Tweek and was being depressingly quiet. Maybe he's sick and he can retake the test when he's feeling better?

He looked over the front of the test and gave a small smile, hoping to get Craig to react a bit to him. "At least you got lumbar right."

Tweek splashed another handful of water onto his face, ridding his skin of the last couple clumps of soapy bubbles that were there. He did a quick shake of his head to try and get off as much excess water as possible, the remaining droplets trailing down his face and accumulating at his chin.

He reached for his towel and started to pat dry his face, pressing the soft cotton against the dampest parts. The gentle pats made their way to under his right eye, he looked at the slightly darker color that pigmented itself underneath his eye. The tint under his eye reminding him of Craig's eye bags and how tired he looked today.

Except Craig's undereyes were much worse, he looked completely drained of life.

And when Tweek let him take the nap he slept for over thirty minutes. He expected him only to take a small power nap and then pop up, but Tweek had to wake him up and get him into doing his work. Work which didn't even get done while he was supposed to be doing it.

Tweek dropped his towel to the counter and looked at his own frowning face, gripping onto the counter of his bathroom in thought.

He sighed and walked to his room, picking up his phone to send a quick text to Craig.

_Make sure to get some sleep today!_

Except he didn't.

Craig came to the session just as tired, but if Tweek was being honest, maybe even more tired.

Craig sat in his chair with the same tired frown from yesterday and an even more depressing sigh. It was drawn out and each second it breathed on made Tweek feel worse.

It pulled on Tweek's heart seeing him like this, but knowing Craig, there wasn't much he could do. He didn't like talking about problems, let alone his own, so to think he would open up about what has him like this is wishful thinking.

"Did you get my text?"

Craig dragged his eyes up from the book page he hadn't turned in ten minutes. "What?"

"My text?" Tweek opened his phone to show Craig the message he had sent last night. "Did you get it?"

Craig gave a confused moue and pulled out his phone, his eyes reacting to the light of his phone like he had just awoken from the dark and the screen was at full brightness. "No, I didn't." He then turned the phone toward Tweek, showing the notification that he got a message from him, but it was just never opened. "I got it now though."

"Well just try to get some tonight." Tweek watched the male slowly put his phone away and felt the wrong feeling that's been lurking in his stomach since yesterday clench further. "Okay?"

Craig looked at his book for a moment more before doing a lengthy nod. 

He checked his phone for the third time.

Craig was coming up on the twenty minute mark for making Tweek wait.

Tweek bounced his leg up and down as he stared at the empty seat in front of him, he's never this late. He would text him if he was or he would tell him before hand if he wasn't going to show up to a session. At the very least he would bully Token into tell the message.

Tweek gnawed on his lip and pondered if Craig had fallen asleep in his math class, he had been exhausted this week and it was completely possible. His brain flurried with the treacherous ideas that the teacher may have walked out and didn't notice the sleeping Craig in his classroom or they did notice him and the vendetta that Craig has been alleging against his math teachers turns out to be true and he's asleep and locked in the classroom right now.

"Stop." Tweek gave a deep breath, trying to remind his head of reality and how teachers wouldn't just lock up students, on accident or on purpose. He stood from his spot and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Just go check."

Tweek gave a passive knock to the door of Craig's algebra class, pushing the door open with his finger tips. Peeking his head in with a chewed lip, the optimism he had been building in his stomach flying away once he saw inside the room.

There was no Craig.

He felt his stomach clench upon seeing no Craig, but that's okay. He still might be at school and-

"Can I help you?"

Tweek gave a small jolt as he got reminded of the fact he just entered a non-empty classroom that still held a teacher in it. He gave an awkward smile as his eyes finally flashed to the man sitting at the front desk. "Hi Mr. Beul, sorry to barge in."

The old man gave a smile to the intrusion. "Oh that's Mr. Tweak? Surprised to see you here, but you're always welcomed to this algebra cove."

Tweek smiled and stepped into the room. "Glad to hear, but I'm just stopping by to ask..." He looked over to the seat in the back of the class. "Did you happen to see what way Craig went when he left? He's been-"

"Craig didn't come to class." Mr. Beul interrupted.

Tweek's face dropped and he felt his breath leave him, his face contorting as he processed the information. He never came and he never texted or called or bullied token. What if he went to do a quick smoke somewhere dangerous? He says he's quit but sometimes he smells like smoke. But this one smoke that he doesn't think will hurt him turns out to be his last because one of the bikers or any one of the hundred people that Craig's pissed off decided to finally get rid of him. He was probably thinking he was safe and trying to relax because he's-

"Mr. Tweak?" The teacher stood from his desk, the concern on the student's face starting to seem too grim. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh... no." He then clenched his hands tight. "Please excuse me."

"He never went to school?" Tweek mumbled to himself as he turned down the street Skeeter's. "I know he's been spacing out, but he always makes sure I know what's happening when he doesn't."

He pulled onto the curb and parked his car, unbuckling his seat belt with a quickness that the strip of fabric didn't like. The stripe of fabric crossing over him pulling him back into his seat, the action only making the heavy feeling in Tweek's chest weigh harder. His heart beat accelerating against the constraint with the new mystery of where his student is. After a few failed attempts of getting the damn thing off he walked out of his car towards the bar.

He opened the doors to the bar and saw it was empty, the only man being in their was a lonely pastor.

No Craig.

He spotted Chef behind the bar, except the man was different than usual. He wasn't bursting with his usual joy, he looked deflated, much like Craig was yesterday.

"Chef?"

The man looked up and gave a weak smile. "Hey Tweek."

"Are you okay?" Tweek stepped forward to place his hands on the bar counter. "You look-"

"I'm fine, Tweekers." Chef started to wipe down the spot in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

Tweek frowned at the look on Chef's face and wanted to press further, but didn't. The worry for Craig still ever pressing in his head. "Have you seen Craig? He didn't come to school and he isn't responding to my texts or calls."

Chef's brows furrowed down and looked over the blonde. "He... He never told you?"

"What?" Tweek tilted his head, his mind racing with the ambiguity of the phrase. Swallowing the dry feeling in his throat before leaning further forward on the bar. "Never told me what?"

Chef stared intently back down at the bar top. "I thought he would have because you two..." He paused and sighed. "Look Tweek." The man looked back up at the teen in front of him with a deep frown. "If he didn't tell you, I shouldn't. I'm sorry." He then nodded his head to the door. "He's not here, try his house." 

Tweek felt his worry fade once he arrived at the Tucker residence. Craig's truck sat still and untouched in the driveway of his house. Tweek parked his car at the curb with less stressed movements. His seatbelt slithering off instead of holding him back and letting him leave his car in a less wound up state.

Tweek knocked at the door and waited for an answer, wondering if Craig was sick and he just never told him he was sick. Why wouldn't he tell him though? It didn't make sense. What could Craig not have told him?

Tweek looked at the door during his thoughts and realized, he had been standing here for what felt much too long.

After another minute of no answer Tweek knocked again.

The door opened and Tweek was once again stripped of his piece of mind.

A woman answered the door, her head coming out from behind the door, but hand clutching the edge of it with a tight grip. The wooden door shielding her from Tweek and the rest of the world. "Can I help you?"

He had never seen Craig's mom, but he was assuming the women in front of him was her. The sharp brows and straight nose reminding Tweek of Craig.

It wasn't until he reached her eyes that he felt his heart clench.

Her eyes were red with emotion and watered with an unspoken misery; something unknown plaguing the blonde women.

Tweek snapped back to reality, thinking his staring was bordering on awkward. "Uh hi, I know we've never met, but I'm Craig's tutor." He tried to smile despite the upset face the mother wore. "He never came to our session and he isn't answering the phone. I was just wondering if he's here."

"He's not." The woman swallowed something deep in her throat and clenched the door she was hiding behind. "He's on a walk."

She closed the door and Tweek was once again left unsure of Craig's location. 

Tweek sat in his car tapping his foot against the car floor. He stared at his phone and chewed on his lip, nerves making his fingertips twitch and tingle with worry and fear. His mind trying to create theories that only made him more anxious. Shaking his head to try and keep the ideas from going too far.

"She said he's on a walk." Tweek breathed in for five seconds before letting it out, his foot tapping faster after the deep breath. "A walk that's taken him all day and let him skip school."

This wasn't good.

Everyone was acting like this and him being MIA was normal, even worse Chef and his mom didn't even explain the situation. They were both just cryptic and upset looking, what could have happened?

He was desperate and worried.

He swallowed his pride and opened snapchat. Opening Craig's snap map to see where he is, it was a last ditch effort, but it was what Tweek needed to calm down.

When the location finally loaded Tweek thought he was seeing it wrong, but after another refresh of the screen he saw nothing was wrong.

His stomach turned as he stared at the blimp. "What the hell."

Once the road ran out of town and started to turn to tall grass fields Tweek's heart began to beat faster.

His head racing with different reasons as to why Craig was 40 minutes away from town and in a place that would work as a body dumping area for murderers. How he would be able to walk and be this far out was impossible, the grand distance only making Tweek's mind swirl with more intense and worrying conspiracies.

He checked the little blimp on his phone and gave a tense groan as he saw he was almost on top of Craig's location.

He pulled his car over to the side of the road, careful not to get too close to the ridge of the paved road. The sides of the uneven pavement held deep banks of dirt that led to the growing wheat, too far off to the side and the car would tumble in.

After getting out and seeing no Craig he started to let those pestering thoughts guide him into a small panic. His breathing becoming deeper and his heart finally letting itself race the way it's been wanting to.

Ready to start calling out for his student when he spotted a stray bike near the edge of the road, it was out of place and looked like it had been completely thrown to the side.

He walked towards the abandoned bike and gave it a look over, it seemed new. Odd to abandon a new bike.

As he got closer to the edge of the road, he spotted a blue figure amongst the overgrown grass in the ditch. He walked towards it and spotted a yellow puff ball on top of the person's head.

His heart calming down and Tweek feeling his breath return to him.

He jogged over to seated male with a breath of relief, but a new wave of annoyance. " _Craig?_ Did you throw your phone in a lake?"

Craig barely turned his head over his shoulder to look at Tweek, looking the blonde up and down before turning forward again. Tweek furrowed his brows, the silent treatment not going to work for him today.

" _Hello?_ You just wanted to have teen moment in the grass?" Tweek looked down at the figure still sitting and scoffed. "If you're going to just ditch a session, at least tell me! I was-"

"Fuck off."

Tweek stopped, the coming words dying in his throat. His stomach turning and caving in on the cold and empty words, having to force out his next response. "E-Excuse me?"

Craig stood up, slowly stalking over to Tweek in a way that made the blonde for the first time feel threatened by him. Not that he was going to do something bad, but that he was honestly not wanting of Tweek. The blonde took a step back from the sneering eyes, the treatment feeling cruel and usual. 

Craig stared down at Tweek with a hard face. "I said." He stepped closer to Tweek and almost bared his teeth as he said. " _Fuck off_."

Craig kept pointed eyes directed at Tweek, they were sharp and jagged as they tried to scare the blonde off. But past the harsh edges and coldness, Tweek saw the redness. The same red and upset look that cowered in his mom's eyes.

Tweek swallowed the fear that was growing in his throat, Craig's never looked at him so genuinely cold and downright mean. Even when they for the most part hated each other, Craig hadn't looked at him like this. Did he do something to Craig? Is that why everyone's been acting so weird towards him and the situation? Is Craig upset with him? What could he have done?

_Stop._

Tweek gave a quick breath in through his nose, his face tensing in fear and hesitation. Everything told him to go, but the sadness behind Craig's cold eyes were begging Tweek to stay. "No."

Craig glared and towered higher over the male, his presence somehow growing and looming further over Tweek. "This isn't some my parents aren't home for me bullshit, Tweek." His face got closer to Tweek's and scowled, a sharp finger pierced near the smaller male's collarbone. The jab being quick, but painful, Tweek letting out a pitiful gasp when it landed on him. "Get the fuck away."

Tweek felt his heart clench, the fact he said that to him hurting more than the deep poke. He was already so far into it though, he bit on his bottom lip as he looked back at the mean face of what he thought was his kind and compassionate student. He could feel his emotions welling up behind his eyes as he gave a hurried shake of his head. "Fuck you, Craig."

Craig's face twitched as Tweek stared up at him.

"I ran _all_ over town for you!" Tweek pushed at his chest, walking forward as Craig gave a small tumble back. "I went to see Chef and your mom! They wouldn't even tell me what was happening!" He gave another harder push to his chest, Craig taking more passive steps back. " _You_ didn't even tell me what was happening! So I've been thinking you were kidnapped or fell asleep somewhere you shouldn't have!" Tweek swallowed the emotions in his throat that were straining his words. "So I hunt you down to here because I'm worried and then when I get here I'm told t-to-to... _FUCK OFF_!"

Tweek gave deep breaths to the hurt feelings brewing in his chest and head, feeling light headed from the yelling. He panted and waited for Craig to say something, at this point, _anything_. But instead of responding he watched Craig's face fall, the male letting out a choked cough before his stern face crumpled and fell victim to the emotions it was hiding.

" _Craig?_ " Tweek said out softly.

The male in front of him started to cry a deep sob. Breathing in a haggard breath before his teeth clenched, desperately trying to keep back the noise. His head falling to his chest and letting held back sadness trail down his cheeks, his shoulders falling and knees buckling.

Tweek rushed forward to grab Craig before he completely fell to the ground, wrapping his arms around Craig's shoulder and back as he descended.

Craig's reached the ground and tugged his knees into a hug, his head hanging over his knees as he tried to keep his wails silent, every couple seconds his throat scolded him for trying to keep back his noises; an unbearable ball of pain in his trachea that forced itself out, grumbling amongst the cries. His fists clenching and slamming on the ground in the frustration of his body letting out what felt so crucial to be left in.

Tweek didn't know what had happened in the minute that this all took place, but he still kept Craig close.

He rubbed his hands up and down his back, giving affirming squeezes to the closest arm when Craig would let out a shockingly loud cry. One that showed teeth and let his jaw unhinge to release his inner tension. The noise of it rattling Tweek and leaving him only closer to Craig,

They stayed huddled together for what felt like hours, Craig's continuous cries leaving Tweek in his spot. He wanted to help Craig, wanted to try and help whatever was hurting him like this and if that was just being someone to cry on, that was fine with Tweek.

Craig gave a shaky breath and picked his head up, looking at the horizon full of wheat and below that wheat a complete mystery. His nerves relaxing as Tweek stroked his back, trying to time his breathing to the soft sounds of Tweek's breathing near his ear. The heavy head of the blonde on his shoulder bringing him and his thoughts back down to reality.

"Thanks."

The two of them sat in their spots for a few more peaceful couple moments, Tweek continuing to bathe Craig with reassuring touches and soft hums when needed. The sad male feeling himself almost drowse off from how tired and worn out his eyes were, but Tweek acting as a weighted blanket against him didn't help either. 

He gave a deep breath and looked through the corner of puffy eyes to the golden locks in his peripheral. 

Tweek was good. 

Purely and entirely good. 

He was yelled at, berated and poked harder than anyone this good should have been. 

Yet, here he was. 

_Understanding._

"Sorry." Craig awkwardly muttered. 

Tweek picked his head up and looked at Craig, he had also found himself dozing off from the stillness and serenity of the fields. "Hm?"

"I acted really shitty when you got here." Craig looked at Tweek sheepishly. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did or have said any of that to you... especially about your..." He sighed and looked back down. "I'm sorry, Tweek."

Tweek looked at the guilty male scold himself, his head hanging in shame, Tweek seeing and recognizing the look of someone who's mind is beginning to swirl with overbearing thoughts. He placed a hand on Craig's shoulder and tilted his head to try and look at Craig. "It's fine." 

Craig peeked up at Tweek, his face twitching one of his brows down in doubt. 

"I mean, _no_. It's not fine, you shouldn't have said that." Tweek squeezed Craig's shoulder. "But I know you were just upset and wanted me to leave."

Craig shook his head. "Still wasn't okay for me to say." 

Tweek leaned into Craig, wrapping his arms around the male's shoulders and smushing his cheek into Craig's. "Craig, I promise you're fine." He then gave a small shake of his head that mushed his and Craig's cheeks against each other, his voice muffling and distorting from his cheek moving around against Craig's. "And if you keep on feeling bad about it I'm gonna just keep on doing this." 

Craig let a smile crack as Tweek rubbed his face against his. "I don't mind this as much as you think I do." 

"Well, can you mind?" Tweek let a laugh slip through his slightly whiny tone. "Your stubble hurts."

Craig laughed with Tweek and pulled his head away from the blonde. "Alright, _fine_." 

The two gave a small chuckle and Tweek pulled back a bit, their outer arms still sitting against one another. The minimal shared warmth making them both content to stay like this, but at the same time Tweek wasn't fine. 

Craig was upset. 

Really upset. 

And there was still no reason or why. 

Tweek looked at the side of Craig's face and frowned. He didn't want to upset him again, but he also didn't want to be in the dark again. Not just because Chef and his Mom knew and he didn't, he thought about the two days before this that had Tweek worrying just as much. And before that was the time when it rained and Tweek could only blindly comfort. 

"Craig." Tweek bit his lip and put a hand on the male's arm. "I don't want to pry and make you feel uncomfortable..." Craig looked at Tweek like he knew what was coming, how could he not? "But... I care about you... and it sucks seeing you like this." 

Craig looked at his tutor and gave a deep breath, his voice low as he looked over Tweek's face. "I care about you too and I don't wanna worry you like today." He tapped his thumbs on his knees, trying to find the right words that would be quick and to the point. "Give me a minute." 

Tweek looked away from Craig, hoping to take off some of the pressure that he must be feeling. Looking forward to the wheat plains in front of him, he hasn't even seen a part of Colorado like this. He knew they existed, but only in specific search’s on google. Has this always been here? He doesn't really get out much, let alone 40 minutes outside of town where there are places that look like a scene from little house on the prairie. 

Maybe he should go out more. 

Go see more scenic places in the state and-

"This is where my dad and sister died." Craig tried to deadpan it out, but his voice pitched at the end of his sentence. "They got in a car crash three years ago."

Tweek felt his breath leave him. 

His mindless thinking about their surroundings dropping and head whipping towards Craig. 

"It was raining and..." Craig's chest rumbled his voice, his mouth tightening and letting out a slow breath through his nose. His throat thickening his words as he tried to get them out, hiding his embarrassed eyes by looking at the dirt. "And they were on the way back from my sister's horse camp."

"I guess my dad underestimated the wet roads and they said that the thunder might have made it worse." He looked up and tightened his face, pursing his lips to prepare for the emotions that were coming out. "They flipped over and rolled into-" He turned his head away from the dirt and motioned to the small ditch they were in.

"My mom and I were on the way to the store when she got a call." The corner of his mouth twitched with a miserable scowl. "So she started driving over..." He did a quick sniff of his runny nose. "My mom was screaming when they took them out of the car... if I think about it too much it's like it's happening all over again."

Tweek put his head onto Craig's shoulder and engulfed his side into a tight hug. "Craig, I'm so sorry." 

Craig put his head on top of Tweek's, feeling himself begin to feel more stable while he spoke, Tweek once again weighing him down just the way he needed. His voice wavering less as he continued. "The memory of them being pulled out of this ditch when it was flooding with water... it hurts to think about." He shook his head trying to chase out the noises and sounds accompanied with the flashback, his heart tightened with the memory. "I should be over this."

"No." Tweek reached his hand to lay on Craig's chest. "You're human. You have feelings." He backed his head away from Craig's before turning the male’s face towards him with his hand. "What happened was traumatic and devastating. No one's judging you for _feeling_ , Craig."

__

Craig looked at Tweek and nodded, Tweek's hand feeling warm and soft against his face. He let his face push into the hand, turning his head slightly until his lips slid against the smooth palm. "Thanks again, Tweek."

__

"No problem." Tweek let his hand drop from Craig's face, his lips quirking up at the pout Craig did once he stopped cradling his face. 

__

__

Craig's hand shook with nerves as he clutched onto the handle of the patio door, he wanted to run back to Tweek's car and stay in a state of prolonged hug with his tutor.

__

But he couldn't.

__

He wanted to be there for her like Tweek was there for him. 

__

He wanted to make her feel better like Tweek had made him feel better. 

__

He wanted to be the Tweek that he got for her. 

__

She deserved it. 

__

He took a deep breath and huffed it out, swinging the door open and going through the entryway before he lost his nerve. Walking in and quickly stopping upon seeing his Mom, she sat at the kitchen table with large eyes; staring at him in pure disbelief, unbelieving of him being here. 

__

She blinked away the awe in her eyes and stayed quiet. 

__

Craig took a hesitant couple steps forward and wrapped his arms around his mother, squeezing her close as he said a quiet. "I'm sorry, Mom." 

__

And she cried.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to end it so depressingly :(


	24. The What The Fuck Is This Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title's supposed to be a play on the friend zone/the bone zone thing, but I don't think it's working

"What in all that is holy?" Chef mumbled to himself, unsure why or how the sight in front of him is happening.

Usually he's confused by the boys antics and their continuing to develop relationship, but this takes the cake for the dumbest thing he's seen them 'platonically' do.

Tweek stood in front of Craig while he sat on one of the bar stools, Craig's arms were tightly wrapped around Tweek's middle. The blonde completely complacent with their position and letting his hands lay on Craig's shoulders as they bantered back and forth about, what seemed to be, an English paper.

Tweek would laugh as Craig made hushed remarks about his teacher, going to throw his head and body back as he did, but Craig would just take the arms around Tweek and pull him back forward again. Cradling those laughs back into the boys special space and preforming them purely for their maker.

"I swear to God, I'm about to kick both of you out of here." Chef threw one of his bar rags towards the pair, the damp rag landing over Craig's face with a gross _flerp_.

Tweek plucked the rag off Craig's face with another close hugged chuckle, plopping it back onto the bar top as Craig grumbled about having a probably unwashed rag on his face. "Someone's _definitely_ not getting kissed now."

"You guys kiss?!" Chef opened his arms to the heavens, wondering about the fucking world where any of this would happen. "Why are the kids of today so dumb?"

Craig glared at the bartender and took one of his hands away to flip off Chef. "We don't kiss, it was just a joke, Chef."

"Joke or not, y'all are driving me crazy." Chef took his throw rag and placed it back under the counter. "What are you guys doing here anyways? Isn't this your study time?"

"Oh yeah." Tweek crossed his arms and backed away from Craig as he was reminded of why they were here instead of school like they should have been. "As usual it's his fault."

" _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit._ "

Craig flashed past the hoards of students who were still getting things out of their lockers to leave school, giving hurried and urgent 'sorry's and 'excuse me's as he passed through. The apologies and excuses fell quiet compared to the noise of the students still in the hall and the usual security guards chasing after him with their own noise.

"Get back here!"

Craig turned the hall and gave a wince upon seeing over his shoulder that he's been exercising the guards too much, they're getting better at running. "Fuck, Tweek's gonna be pissed."

He gave another final turn to the hallway where the library was, then he saw Tweek (normal occurrence), he was talking to Stan Marsh (not normal occurrence). Craig's upper lip twitched in what could only be described as a half snarl. It wasn't on purpose, but it was a just a natural reaction to seeing Stan Marsh, the world's worst person since Cartman.

The dude is always complaining about something and always using his dad's sucky actions as a way to get laid. And the four times he hung out with him some fucked up shit happened and ended up ruining his day.

As Craig ran past he gripped Tweek's arm and pulled him along in his flea from the authority of South Park High's security team. Which-as a side note-was made because of Stan and his gang of idiots. Giving another scowl as his eyes caught the fellow black haired male. "Since when do you talk to Stan?"

"Craig! Is that really what you're asking right now?" Tweek ripped his arm out of the hold, but ran with his student. "What did you do now?"

"Oh nothing." Craig gave a small shrug and gave a quick look back to Stan and the security guards behind them. "I just saw this snake outside the school and thought it would look cool, inside the school."

Tweek gave an elbow to his running buddy. "Jesus, Craig! How did that seem like a good idea?"

"I don't know, at the time it seemed pretty harmless." Craig saw the entrance to the school and once again pulled Tweek over to the direction. "Also just wondering, how do you feel about studying at Chef's today?" 

"So now we're here." Tweek said with a annoyed huff.

Craig crossed his arms as he got reminded of his unanswered question. "Hold up, you never said why you suddenly started talking to Stan."

"I didn't suddenly start talking to Stan. We were put together in bio, and I was just discussing times that we could work with one another." Tweek put his hands on his hips. "And why does it matter if I talk to Stan? He's a nice guy."

Craig scoffed and crossed his arms. "Ha! Did him talking about how dumb his dad is make you think he's so nice?"

"Ugh, _no_." Tweek narrowed his eyes at Craig. "I think he's nice because when I was absent he took notes for me and he always notices when I get a new sweater."

Craig rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. "I notice when you get a new sweater."

Tweek went to say more, but people opening the bar door behind him caught his attention, the thought he had dying out as he saw the people walking in.

A large group of overly beefed and muscle tee wearing men walked in, most of them covering their eyes with dark tinted glasses.

"Oh no." Tweek hopped onto Craig's lap and threw his arms around his neck, whispering to the male he was sitting on. "PC guys."

Craig looked at the males coming in and was surprised to see smiles come to some of their faces. Still feeling the need to hold onto the jean covered legs on his lap.

"Tweek and Craiggy Bear!" Said the shortest man out of the group.

Tweek let a laugh choke out, glad to hear that their names were remembered. Hiding his amusement in Craig's neck so their whole operation wouldn't be blown. Craig having to muffle his laughter into the blonde's hair, squeezing Tweek's leg to remind him that they were supposed to be acting right now.

Tweek recovered first and hid his amusement with a beaming smile still trickling with giggles. "Hi! Long time no see."

The men started to converge to the booths of the bar, sitting in their jacked up clumps of testosterone and ray bands. One of them responding to the blonde with a nice wave. "I know! It's good to see you guys! We just came to go over the problems that the TLC show 90 day fiancé brings up."

Tweek hopped off Craig's lap and walked towards the men. "I love that show for all the wrong reasons. Are you guys talking about the misrepresentation of immigration that it shows?"

"Exactly!" The male then gave a hearty shove to his pal. "See even the common viewer can notice the blatant problems with this show!"

Craig watched with a smile as Tweek ventured over to the men, continuing the conversation about the problematic show.

"What a guy." Chef said as he watched Craig watch Tweek, wanting to laugh at the intense, but soft stare that Craig had towards the blonde as he ranted about 'the law'. "I'm surprised you're not doing your usual mother duck routine."

Craig turned back towards the bar. "He's in good hands." He watched Chef begin to pull out a bowl of nuts and quickly gave a glare. "No, Chef."

"You never let me have any fun." Chef tucked the bowl back underneath the bar, placing his hand on the counter top with a small smile. Sighing as he thought about the conversation ahead, deciding to just get it out and say it. "So last week he came in asking about... the anniversary... How'd that go?"

Craig shrugged and leaned his elbows on the counter. "It went... well... I mean it actually went really well. Which is is weird to say." He gave a quick look over his shoulder to the blonde. "He quite literally hunted me down then yelled at me." Craig turned forward again and shook his head at how he acted. "I said some really bad shit to him so it was deserved, but ... I guess I didn't expect him to get so angry at me and actually fight me back. I thought he was going to leave so I got overwhelmed and I..." Craig sighed and looked at the over varnished wood of the bar top with a frown. "I cried in front of him... like a lot."

Craig gave an awkward laugh, he didn't usually describe things to Chef beyond the breast size of a woman or an encounter that's left him feeling a certain way, so saying he was emotional in general felt weird. Let alone telling Chef that he was emotional in front of Tweek.

"How'd he react?" Chef asked, his smile still small and seemingly soft.

"Well he..." Craig cleared his throat so he could make his voice quiet, even though there was no chance of anyone hearing him over the politically correct conversations happening in the bar. "He hugged me... and we talked about it and he was... actually really good to talk to."

Chef gave a full smile and clapped his hand on Craig's shoulder. His heart warming with the image of Tweek being able to comfort the guarded boy. "I'm glad you have him, Craig."

Craig smiled and gave another quick look to Tweek, finding the way Tweek was yelling about foreign policies so him and so mesmerizing. "Yeah... I am too." He then looked forward again with small laugh to himself. "You know, the other night he stayed up on facetime with me while I worked and-"

"Did you accidentally pull a dick slip?" Chef asked with a knowing look.

"What? No!" Craig gave a nervous look over to the group of men to see if they heard their conversation. "I was gonna say that he fell asleep while I was working and-"

"He said your name?"

"No! Chef, stop saying-Wait, actually he did." Craig gave a huff and a glare to the smug look on Chef's face. Not appreciating the eyebrows that followed the smug face. "Yes, he did, but it's was different."

Craig scratched underneath his hat, goosebumps spreading over him and making his body feel electric. The weird feeling that’s been plaguing him beginning to mess with him again. “He was asleep and all the sudden he grabbed his pillow and he... he just started smiling then he said it." He smiled and felt his feet tap with unsure but ecstatic emotions. "He looked so happy and just... calm, you know? I mean not that he usually isn't calm or that he wasn't looking calm before, he just looked really like..." Craig searched for the word and looked up to Chef to search further for the word to describe the sleeping male, but stopped because of the done look on Chef's face. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Boy." Chef did a deep inhale below standing up straight. "If you don't get yourself laid so you could stop being the weirdest version of horny for your tutor, I'm gonna ban you from my bar." He then took some of the nuts from underneath the counter and threw them at Craig. "Either go out and get some or just fucking ask."

"Ask what?"

Chef and Craig turned towards the speaker, Craig feeling his 'oh shit' censors go off upon seeing the tutor. "Oh uh... well Chef was just saying that... um I... uh-"

"That he should be asking you to come to ladies night because I got a cool new speaker for it and the dancing will be going." Chef said with a calm tone and face, giving much more suaveness to the situation than Craig was able to.

Tweek's face brightened and eyes lit up. "Really? Dancing?" He turned to Craig and started to give quick pats to his arm. "Oh my god! We have to come now."

"Ugh. No, Tweek." Craig imagined coming here on a Saturday night and recalled the memories of the literal craziness that occurs here on the weekends.

Tweek pouted. "What? Come on!" He slung his arms around Craig and said with a low tone. "I'd love to see you dancing."

"I don't dance, Tweek." He let Tweek frown and hang further onto him, chills running up his spine from the tutor's face now being so close to his ear. "Especially not here."

Tweek let a laugh rumble out, his mouth much too close for Craig to feel right about the small laugh. "Oh come on, Craig. _Please._ " Coming closer to give a quick press of his lips to the side of Craig's face. "Please, please, please, please, _please._ "

Craig was trying desperately to get out a coherent reason and explanation as to why Tweek shouldn't want to dance or be at this bar on a Saturday night, but each small peck from Tweek felt like a little shock of electricity that was screwing with the transmissions in his brain and creating pure static.

Craig felt his eyes verging on fluttering from the feeling of Tweek pressing repeatedly against his cheek. "I-I guess we can come dance on a Saturday."

"Yes!" Tweek then squeezed Craig's face to his chest. "Chef, you will see us here, dancing, within the next two weeks for sure."

Craig gave a quick furrow of the brow down. "Wait, next two weeks? Why don't we just come this weekend?"

"I'm working on the project with Stan Saturday" Tweek pulled away from Craig. "And I'm going with Christophe to get a haircut."

"Woah, what?" Craig sat back to try and clear his head from the static that Tweek caused in it. "You're taking Mole to get a haircut?"

Tweek nodded. "Yeah, right now he has that sexy caveman look, but it's really time for him to cut it."

Craig's face fell. "Sexy caveman look? You think that _Mole_ is... sexy?"

"I don't think he's sexy, I just think that his hair has a certain look-"

Tweek's phone began to chime with an onslaught of text messages and he stopped talking. Looking down with a confused frown before his eyes bulged out. "Oh shit, I forgot there was a prom meeting today!" He then gave a wince to Craig. "It'll be fine, I can just get the deets from Token."

"It's fine." Craig gave a shrug. "We can just facetime again later."

Tweek smiled at Craig, jumping forward to give a quick hug. "Thank you, Craig." He then pulled away with a sorry sigh, taking a couple steps back towards the door, but keeping his eyes locked with Craig's.. "Remember to call me when you need me."

"I will." Craig waved, hoping to encourage Tweek to leave quicker so he doesn't have to receive 'deets' from Token. "I'll call you around 5."

Tweek nodded then looked over to the men still talking about the wrongs of the TLC show. "See you later guys!"

The men all gave their cheering salutations to Tweek as he walked out.

Craig watched him leave out the door and kept his eyes there once he was gone, he was still processing what he had been told. The horrid things he was told.

"He thinks Mole's hair is sexy."

Chef laughed at the teen and started the grab a couple beers for the men at the booths. "I'm telling you, either ask him out or go get laid."

Craig sat on the couch with a sour face as Kenny continued to describe his most recent sexual encounter, his use of rat candles skeeving out Craig more than he could even begin to describe. Throwing back his beer to try and be less sober while listening to his horrid story.

"I will pay you to stop describing what a rat spleen mixed with sweat smells like."

Kenny smirked and held his hand out. "Works every time."

Craig began to pull out his wallet; he didn't care if he had been swindled or not, he was just glad to have Kenny stop talking. "I hate to say it, but I respect the grind."

"Glad someone does." Kenny took the crisp 20 with a grin, shoving it into his pocket with satisfying crinkles following behind it. "So how you been?"

"I'm getting better grades these days." Craig said with a shrug, unsure to say to the male about himself.

Kenny nodded, quite impressed by the statement. "Good stuff, what are they like now?"

"My lowest grade is a C." Craig then grumbled to himself as he thought about his history teacher. "History can suck my dick."

Kenny gave a negative noise. "No, English can suck a dick." He picked his beer up from the ground and leaned back into the couch with it. "Why should I have to write so much about a book I didn’t read?"

"Eh, it's easy to bullshit stuff though." Craig smiled to himself as he remembered the time Tweek and him had to come up with 100 extra words so they gave an unneeded introduction to the oil crisis in a paper about magical realism.

Kenny noticed the smile and laughed. "Seems like you really like English."

"Huh?" Craig stopped his memory dreaming to look at the weed head next to him.

Kenny gave another sip of his beer. "I'm just saying, I've never seen someone smile like that while talking about English." He put his bottle down and gave a smirk. "Maybe gym, but never English."

"I just think English can be pretty fun." Craig sunk himself into the couch, his hidden ears starting to feel hot.

Kenny's smile grew toothy and wide. "Hey, didn't you say at that last party that you got a tutor?"

"I didn't say it as much as I showed it, but yeah." Craig frowned at the wide smile on Kenny's face. "I have a tutor."

Kenny nudged at Craig with his elbow. "He making learning easier in more ways than one?"

Craig hunched in his spot and shoved his hand not holding his beer into his pocket. "He just helps me with my homework."

"I don't know, he was pretty hot." Kenny let out another guffaw. "Especially when he pulled you out by the ear." He whistled and gave a more provocative look into the distance. "I wouldn't mind if he did that to me."

Craig glared at the parka wearer. "Hey, knock it off." After a brief moment of Craig holding his glare, he realized how he seemed and he pulled the front of his hat down over his eyes. Suddenly aware of how aggressive the comment came off. He cleared his throat and readjusted himself in his seat, awkwardness trying to settle itself over him. "It's weird thinking about him like that."

Kenny gave Craig a look over. "No, I respect it." He gave a punch to the chullo wearer's arm. "That's your guy."

Craig didn't know how to respond to that, it gave an implication of something, but at the same time gave the implication of nothing. It somehow described how he felt about the special 'guy'.

Craig looked at his beer and the time on his phone, deciding it was probably late enough for him to go home and he could probably stay long enough for just one more beer.

"Alright, I'm probably gonna head out." He stood up from the couch and held a fist out for Kenny. "Good talk."

Kenny gave a half-smile and bumped the fist. "Good talk."

Craig gave a wave and took him and his empty bottle up the stairs of the basement. Not minding the other people on the stairs and how they were offended by his lack of 'excuse me's.

He had to ask around to find the recycling bin that no one was using, but recycling was important, he knew that from his tutor. Tweek would always sort through their trash and make sure to divide what was trash and what wasn't. 

So if he was doing the same right now... it was only out of habit.

"I heard you were searching around for the recycling bin."

Craig looked up from the bin that he had squatted next to. The girl speaking to him was leaned against the counter twirling her hair around her finger. Her smile was sweet, but flirtatious. Craig gave a nod and plucked a piece of bubble wrap from the bin. "Yeah, found it."

"You're taking out the stuff in it?" The girl said with a laugh hidden in the words.

Craig stood from his crouching position and gave a nod. "Yeah, bubble wrap isn't recyclable." 

"Oh, didn't know that." The girl gave another laugh and reached for the misplaced trash. "I can place this in the rightful spot then." 

Craig nodded and watched her pull out a secret drawer within the counter that held a trash can in it. "Good." Once he saw her place the bubble wrap in the can he gave a nod and began to turn so he could go get a beer. 

"Hey, where you going?" 

Craig turned back around and pointed over his shoulder to the cooler sitting in the living room. "I was gonna grab another beer." 

"Let me join you." 

Craig listened to Allie talk about her most recent soccer game in extensive detail, going as far as to tell each moment during the halftime and how she was refueling. It was kinda cool to hear about the game so intensely instead of having to actually watch the stuff. 

"So in the end, we didn't get the goal because Red decided she wanted to have her moment." She shook her head as she spoke. "It was the worst and we almost went to state."

Craig envisioned the sad moment of Red stealing the ball from her own team mate and trying to shoot the goal herself. "That's shitty." 

"You're a surprisingly good listener." Allie placed her hand on Craig's leg. "It's really hot."

Craig looked at the hand on him and frowned. "Uh... cool." 

"So do you wanna..." She leaned towards Craig and said near his covered ear. "... go upstairs?"

Craig opened his mouth to decline, but stopped. 

_either ask him out or go get laid_

He wasn't exactly in the mood right now, but just a couple nights ago he was. He felt insatiable and couldn't help but think about his tutor. He didn't do anything about it because it felt weird and wrong, but he was just thinking about him so long and so intensely. He was ready to do anything his blonde tutor said. He couldn't get him out of his head, and if anything it should have been a sign about the way he see's the blonde, but he took it as a moment of desperation. 

_Was he desperate?_

Maybe if he got lucky he wouldn't feel that way about Tweek at night. Maybe he wouldn't need to sit in a cold shower for 10 minutes to get rid of his odd feelings. Maybe he could feel normal around Tweek again. 

"Sure." 

Allie groaned as she tried for the fourth time to try and get a kiss from Craig, he had yet again dodged it and asked about her soccer career. 

"So you're a... forward?"

"Yes, you've asked six times now." She scooted closer to Craig, the bed creaking as she did. "But did you really come up here with me to talk about soccer?"

Craig did a slow shake of the head. "I guess not." 

"Then what do you guess that you came up here for?" Allie did another scoot closer to Craig.

Craig looked at his shoes. "For clarity?"

"What?"

Craig stood up in a flash, embarrassed by his answer. "Sorry... I'm a little off tonight."

"It's fine, we can go slow." Allie rubbed her hand up Craig's arm. "We can just kiss-"

"Can I call someone?" 

Allie stared at him with an incredulous look, her mouth hung open in confusion, unsure why this plea has been made. "Uh... I-I don't see why not." 

"Thanks." Craig walked in an oblong thinking circle and finally looked back at Allie who was still sat on the bed. "Could you... go to a different room?"

Allie pointed to herself in disbelief. "Y-You want me to leave... the room?"

"If you don't mind." Craig said with an awkward smile. 

Allie plopped both of her hands to her sides on the bed. "Alright, this has been weird, but I'll be outside when you're ready... I guess." 

Craig watched her leave the room feeling guilty, he knew what she wanted, and he thinks he wanted to too, but he still felt like he shouldn't. 

But just wallowing in these... _feelings_ , felt just as strenuous. 

He sat back on the bed with a deep breath, his feet tapping in nerves and hands squeezing then unsqueezing his phone. His fingers padding out his passcode slower and with a lot more mistakes than usual, the nerves getting to him as he finally pressed the call button. 

Tweek groaned as his phone rang throughout his room, the shrill of the the noise piercing straight through his sleeping state and completely shattering his chance at a full nights rest. He grumbled as his arm reached out for the phone screaming at him from the nightstand, hoping to shut up the thing as soon as possible. 

Finally grasping the block of circuits and answering the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, you." The deep voice was chilling from across the line, Tweek didn't have to check the caller ID to know this voice. "What's up?"

Tweek squinted at the comforter in front of his face. "Craig, what time is it?"

"Uh... 2:14." Craig laughed through the phone. "Just realized, sorry. I've been drinking at this dumb party and I didn't really think this through." 

Tweek sat up, using his elbows to stilt himself up. "Do you need me to drive you home? I'm fine to drive you if you need to-"

"No, no. I just was calling to ask something." Craig let out a low hum through the phone. 

Tweek laughed. "I hope you're not calling at 2 in the morning to ask about algebra." 

"No, nothing like that." Craig clicked his tongue. "It's a hypothetical type question." 

Tweek quirked one of his brows down in amusement and confusion, turning over to lay on his back as he prepared for the question. "Okay, still kinda an odd timed question, but go ahead." 

"Well... I guess I'm just wondering-well I'm not wondering-the hypothetical person is wondering." Craig let out a couple uneasy noises before continuing. "It's actually Chef's question, so if it's weird don't blame me." 

Tweek laughed at whatever was about to come his way. "Okay, I'm prepared for the worst." 

"So uh... say a person is feeling... _weird_... about themselves and how they feel... so they think that... I guess covering those feelings with something else would help them feel less weird about it... and it's something they've done before and made them feel better before." Craig let out a low grumble. "So should they feel how they feel or... should they just do that... thing?"

Tweek frowned and readjusted his twisted up night clothes, pulling the nightshirt forward again. "So this person is trying to _avoid_ their feelings?" 

" _What?_ " 

Tweek nodded despite Craig being unable to see him. "I said is this person trying to avoid their feelings?"

"If they are, is that... bad?" Craig's voice trailed off as he said that, the question being unsure of itself. 

Tweek furrowed his brows as he thought about it, covering up or denying things was never good, but it seemed like an unspecific example that left room for a lot of interpretation. "Well, it depends. Is this person feeling bad about avoiding how they're feeling?" 

"I-I don't know." Craig let out a groan. "Maybe they are... How they're feeling is... the only thing they can think about and it's just driving them insane... nothing feels normal... things felt normal a while ago, but now it's like I can't stop thinking of... _shit_." 

Tweek pouted and wished he could just be there with Craig to console the confused feelings the male was having. "Craig, it's okay... and I know we've kinda been over this, but... you know I'm here to talk." 

"Thanks Tweek." Craig sighed into the phone, but the sound of his mouth contorting into a smile. "I've just been... wanting... I guess, lately."

Tweek scoffed a laugh, his own body heating up at the implications of the word and the implications of Craig feeling that word. "Wanting?"

"Can we video call?" Craig laughed as the sound of shuffling rustled through the phone. "I wanna know if you're making a weird face and pretending to be cool with this or not." 

Tweek laughed with Craig, pressing onto the video button with a bitten smile. "Sure, but I can assure you that I'm not." 

Craig's face filled the screen and the smile he had made Tweek feel better about his previously feeling confused state. His hair poking out more than usual in his hat and making Tweek bite his lip harder, the look making the tired blonde feel more awake. 

"Hi." 

Tweek laughed in his tiredness and the strangeness of the situation. "Hi, as you can see, I'm not making a weird face."

"I don't know." Craig tilted his head and squinted at the phone. "You look a little funky right now." 

Tweek stuck his tongue out. "Shut up, you're the one that woke me up at 2 am." 

"That's fair." Craig's eyes softened at the screen and he gave another smile that made Tweek feel yet again happy to not be asleep. "And I'm obviously just kidding, you look fine... and thanks for talking with me about this crap so late."

Tweek smiled, giving a fake hair flip as he said. "Well what are tutors for?"

"Yeah..." Craig's face fell slightly, the temperature seeming to drop despite them being in two separate places. "By the way, try not to think about what I said too much... I'm mildly drunk and ranting because I'm feeling-" He put up one of his hands to make air quotes. "-not normal." 

Tweek shrugged. "You don't have to feel normal, I mean just a couple weeks ago I was feeling really not normal, but hanging out with my friends made me feel better." He then let out a laugh. "Okay, my one single friend, but you know what I mean." 

"Single friend?" Craig furrowed one of his brows. "You're taking Mole to get a haircut, Chef would cut his arm off for you, Token is... you know... and... I'd like to think that I'm one of your comrades."

Tweek looked at Craig with another bitten smile before releasing that tensed lip, this one being slower and more distracting to the eye. "You are one of my comrades, and on that note..." 

_Should he ask?_

Last time they did something like that in ended in a horrid array of overfeeling and odd sink fantasies. Yet the voice in Tweek's head that usually gave him bad ideas at a quiet decibel was screaming to invite Craig over again. 

"How about we have your movie night some Friday?" Tweek felt his stomach leap with excitement and nerves, the bold move making him feel lightheaded and ready to implode. "You can come over and we can have a _comrade-y_ time."

Craig smiled at his phone. "And I get to pick the movie?"

"You get to pick the movie." Tweek repeated back. 

"Alright, comrade."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Allie boned another dude at the party after getting tired of waiting for Craig :)


	25. Any Box Could Have One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you catch the Bob's Burgers reference?
> 
> Also if you haven't seen the movie Saw (particularly Saw III) minor spoilers ahead!

Craig watched Tweek talk to the hair dresser about the style he was envisioning for Mole's hair, his hands giving fluffing motions to the top of his head. Craig's eyes hovering over Tweek's hands as he put his fingers into his hair to scrunch it then flair it out.

"Ah, what a guy." A strong accent accompanying a strong cigarette smell. "He gave me a balloon ze other day."

Craig side-eyed his friend, the corners of his mouth coming down slightly. "Are you smoking in here?"

"Since when do you care if I smoke?" Mole pulled another cigarette from his pocket and held it towards Craig. "Take one and stop your bitching."

Craig smacked the stick out of his hand. "You can't smoke in here, there's a sign."

"I'll grab zat sign and beat you over ze head with it." Mole flicked his cigarette to the ground and stomped it on the squeaky linoleum.

Craig glared at Mole. "Then I'll kick you in the face."

"If you kick me in ze face you will see vat your insides look like!" Mole turned to Craig to glare at him.

Craig stood straighter to stare down Mole. "I'll pull your eyes out and shove them down your throat!"

"I hope you do so I can only know for a fact zat I have more guts than you!" Mole took a step further to yell in Craig's face.

Craig clenched his fists and leaned over Mole. "Not if I rip them out first!"

The two males glared daggers at each other, their brows taut and drawn down with fury; snarls and growls just barely being held back behind bared teeth. Tight fists were held within their holsters, ready to be used and swung at a moments notice.

A laugh broke between the two and they began to give quick punches to each other, laughing as they pushed each other around.

"Oh you, cocksucker!" Mole gave Craig a firm pat on the back.

Craig laughed and gave an equally hearty clap to Mole's back. "No kidding, pal."

Mole pulled another cigarette out of his pocket and stuffed it into the corner of his mouth. "So, what's with you?" He searched his pockets until he found his small lighter. "You're all..." He gave a vague motion before bringing the lighter to his lips. "Tense."

"Eh... well-" Craig looked back over to Tweek who was holding a piece of paper towards the hair stylist. "What's..." He gave a quick point to Tweek as he continued down the piece of paper with the woman. "What's with you guys?"

Mole's eyebrow raised before falling with a light smirk. "So you're just worried?"

"I think I asked a question, not for a question." Craig let himself take a deep breath, remembering in the first place why he was so hooked on smoking. He was quite literally hanging out with the wrong crowd, aka a mini terrorist group who smoke constantly.

Mole laughed and let the smoke sink out through his teeth, each breath of air from the laugh out giving its own puffs of smoke. "Look, Craig. I get it."

Craig frowned. "Get what?"

"He is a sexy man, with hair like ze sun and eyes like a forrest near the ocean." Mole took the cigarette out of his mouth and kept his gaze on Tweek. "He knows everything about anything and has ze kindest heart I've ever seen." He then gave Craig a nod. "All things I'm sure you've heard about him."

Craig's mouth fell further. " _Sure._ "

"So I understand zat when a man of pure art like him comes around and hangs with someone like me." Mole gave a shrug and a sigh, seeming sorry for Craig. "It's hard to cope."

Craig's voice fell an octave as he semi growled the word. " _Yeah._ "

"And you know that he deserves to be laid down on a bed of roses surrounded by candles of ze finest scents." Mole took a deep inhale from his cigarette and let it slip out through his lips with a fiery gaze towards Tweek. "Silk sheets should be tangled with his moans and groans, and he will be kept pleasured for as long or as little as he likes."

Craig clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, then unclenched it. "Say sike, _right now_."

"But here's ze zing, my jealous friend." Mole shook his head. "I fuck. I _only_ fuck."

Craig squinted his eyes into thin slits as he turned to Mole, his voice low as he said. "I _really_ hope you have a point with this."

Mole held his hand up for Craig to be quiet. "Mon chou, Tweek. He deserves to be laid down and loved endlessly ze way anyone so great should be and as I've said I don't make love." He gave a small hum. "You have nothing to be worried about."

Craig's scrunched face fell, he hated everything he'd heard, but it was Mole's most complicated way of saying 'we're just friends'. Sadly the terrorist isn't a man of few words and had to communicate this message in the most fury inducing way possible.

"And I guess." He chuckled as looked Craig up and down. "You'll do." He then patted Craig on the shoulder and walked to the hair dresser and Tweek upon seeing the blonde wave him over.

Craig sighed as he watched the hairstylist sign the paper then Mole sign the paper. "God, I hate this town."

Tweek walked over to the brooding teen with his usual smile. "Alrighty, form has been signed and Christophe will finally get rid of his mop."

"A form?" Craig raised a brow. "Is that what that paper was?"

Tweek nodded. "It's just a waiver to make sure that no-" He wagged his fingers in the air to give the feeling of sparkles "- _trouble_ ensues."

"You made a waiver?" Craig glanced at the woman who began to cut Mole's hair while took long drags from his cigarette. " _For him?_ "

Tweek gave another nod. " _And the lady_. It just makes sure that Mole doesn't have to wear the thing they usually put on and make him feel all constricted." He then gave small wince as he thought about the rest of the small contract. "Also that he can smoke and no one tells him not to... if someone tells him he can't smoke he feels like pulling his knife out." 

"And you hang out with this guy?" Craig said with an incredulous look. 

Tweek crossed his arms and scoffed. "You introduced me to him." 

Craig grunted as he finally pulled himself onto the roof, flopping his back onto the rough terrain of the slanted clearing. Letting his leg hang off the edge as he caught his breath, it was always a hassle to climb up that damn pipe, but he liked hearing Tweek fuss over him by talking about how he 'could have gotten hurt' and squeezing him close when he thought about the 'horrible possibility'. _That_ and his arms were always super jacked after climbing up and down the pipe.

When he finally caught his breath he sat up, squatting in front of the window and giving a couple knocks. As he waited for Tweek to open the window he gave a nod of self-appreciation to the curtains he had put up for the blonde. Before Tweek had some bordering on transparent curtains to cover his windows that drove Craig nuts with the possible creeps that may lurk in Tweek's neighborhood, but now the curtains were a thick green thick fabric to completely cover anything the tutor was doing. Although Tweek did complain about the 'aesthetic' being off for a week.

Craig knocked again. "Tweek?"

After another minute he shrugged and started to pry open the window, but stopped upon hearing what was inside the room. The faint noises of heavy breathing from the window made a chill shoot up his spine, the curiosity killing him and making him open the window wider. The sound getting louder as he opened the entrance all the way. Stopping again to lean his ear into the fabric of the curtain, wanting to hear more of the noises coming from the room.

"Oh god." A weak voice muttered out, the voice gasping as it continued short lived _ah ah ah's._

Craig's face twisted in confusion, as he listened to, what he assumed was, Tweek. Quirking a brow as he heard his tutor gasp out another 'oh god'.

Craig leaned further towards the noise, but leaned too far as he fell through the window and into the room, the curtain tried its best to keep him from falling in, but ended up falling with him. The rod disconnecting from the wall and landing with a loud hollow metal sound as it hits Craig's head.

"GAH! Craig! What are you doing?!"

Craig tried to stand from the ground but the curtain stayed draped over him and made him the world's greenest ghost. Finding the odd and rushed sounds of Tweek rustling in his bed a little more panicked than when he usually intrudes. "I came to watch the movie!"

"So you decided to crawl through my window?!"

"I texted 20 minutes ago I was coming over!" Craig finally found the end of the curtain to pull down on and whipped it off of him, his eyes landing on Tweek's flushed face and bare shoulders. Watching as his chest quickly expanded then fell. "And what are you doing in bed? It's only six."

Tweek pulled the covers higher over his chest, his face burning further with heat. "I-I... I was napping!"

"But I heard you..." Craig squinted at the blonde and his bordering on twitchy behavior, unsure what to say he heard. " _Talking?_ "

Tweek's mouth bobbed open and closed for a minute. "I... I was having a nightmare!"

"Hold on." Craig gave another look to Tweek's exposed shoulders. "Are you shirtless?"

Tweek picked up one of his pillows and chucked it towards Craig. "GET OUT! Jesus Christ! Read the room, Craig!" He gave a sharp point to the door. "Go wait downstairs!"

"Okay." Craig let the pillow hit his chest and put his hands up, walking across the room towards the door. " _Sorry._ "

Craig was almost out the door and went to say something over his shoulder, but caught Tweek stuffing something under the bed as he turned. The scene making Craig want to stop and question the odd acting Tweek, but he didn't. He shrugged and decided to move on, not wanting to dwell on the weirdness and anger Tweek more.

Craig sat himself on the couch downstairs, scrolling through his phone and looking at the abundance of prank videos on online. His favorite being the ones where people fell from the roof.

"You hungry?"

Craig turned around to see Tweek walking down the stairs, _dressed_ , and in a better mood. The smile on his tutor's face calming Craig's previously nervous nerves. When he sat himself on the couch he was worried that the whole evening had been spoiled with him getting Tweek upset. 

Yet here his tutor is, _smiling._

Craig put his phone in his pocket. "You haven't eaten yet?"

"Well I was going to after-uh" Tweek's face bloomed with color again as he tried to speak, his brows contorting for an awkward second before he spoke again. "A-After my nap."

Craig gave a nod, semi-confused by the order of events given by the time managed blonde. "Well, okay then." He stood from the couch, walking around to meet Tweek at the kitchen counter. "Have a tough nap?"

"Huh?" Tweek tilted his head as his hands landed on the marble topped counter.

Craig furrowed his brows, stepping closer to Tweek. "You said you had a nightmare."

"Oh!" Tweek's eyes widened and his face once again brightened with color. "Y-Yeah, I was having a bad one... it was about...um..." His lip got caught in his teeth as he thought about his answer. Craig frowned at Tweek's hesitation, feeling bad that his tutor might be feeling too upset to talk about the dream. He placed a hand on top of Tweek's, hoping to instill some bravery to talk about what must have been bothering him. Craig catching a small gasp as his hand covered Tweek's. " _Clowns!_ It was about clowns."

Craig frowned and pulled his hand back. "I thought you said you didn't mind clowns."

"Uh..." Tweek looked up at Craig, his eyes big with guilt and red-handedness. Craig furrowed one of his brows, finding Tweek's struck by headlight stare odd. The smaller male letting out a small huff. "Why do you listen to me so much?"

Craig shrugged. "Why do you talk to me so much?"

The two looked at each other, their eyes exchanging the unsaid answer of their questions. They both knew in their hearts why they would listen and talk to one another so much, but they also knew nothing at the same time.

"How do you feel about pasta?"

Tweek set a plate in front of Craig with a smug grin. "And you said I couldn't figure out how to make my own sauce."

Craig gave a suspicious look to the plate of food in front of him. "It looks fine, but how does it taste is my question."

"Hey!" Tweek flicked at Craig's shoulder. "Don't insult my dish. I worked hard with my low amount of ingredients."

Craig poked his plate with his fork. "You used ketchup as a sauce."

"I added other stuff to it!" Tweek left the dinning room to grab his plate and phone. "And knowing you, you'd probably like it as plain ketchup anyways."

Craig gave a middle finger, a smile hiding behind the bird. "I say salt is a good seasoning _once._ "

"Once is enough." Tweek came back to the table to set down his plate and phone. Coming behind Craig's chair with a bitten smile, leaning over the seated male's shoulder to look at the side of his face. Tweek bounced on his toes, excited to see how the taste test would go. "Now take a bite."

Craig side eyed the expectant look from Tweek. "Why does that sound like a threat?" He smiled as Tweek's face pressed closer to his, beginning to twirl his fork around the plate of red covered noodles. The fork beginning to accumulate a small tornado of the cooked angel hair. "Is this poisoned?"

"You watched me make it!" Tweek gave a harmless hit to Craig's shoulder. "I didn't poison it."

Craig held up the twisted bundle of pasta and smirked. "You take a bite then."

"I have my own plate." Tweek said, giving a smirk back to the male.

Craig gave a small glance to the plate next to his, his voice lowering as he looked back at Tweek. "What if you only poisoned my plate?"

"You really think I would poison you?" Tweek whispered back, his smile having to be chewed down to prevent it from twitching further up.

Craig looked at the teethed on lip and felt his tongue dart out to dampen his own dry mouth, mumbling out. "Spoken like a true poisoner."

Tweek released his lip with a small close kept laugh, looking at Craig while giving a small shake of the head. " _Fine._ "

Tweek leaned forward to capture the fork with his lips, teeth clinking with metal as the bite settled in his mouth. His eyes falling closed as the strangely made spaghetti hit his tongue and ran unusual flavors across his tastebuds. Letting out a fake guttural moan as he pulled off the fork. The utensil being left clean from any residue of the dish or the blonde.

The artificial moan that Tweek produced still rang through the air and through Craig's head. Even though it was fake, Craig still heard it like it was real, he wanted it to be real, he wanted a real sound like that from Tweek that was made by him. _Only him_. Not ketchup and basil stirred in a pot, but him.

Tweek swallowed the chewed bite with a small wince. "Alright, it doesn't taste normal if I'm being honest." Craig kept his eyes on Tweek mouth as he spoke, wanting Tweek to make the noises he had made earlier again. "But, it does taste like a foreign version of spaghetti."

Tweek smacked his lips to savor the aftertaste for a moment more, he sat back in his own seat as he continued to laugh and talk to himself. "It's just _slightly_ wrong." He grabbed his phone and began pulling up a video. "Maybe I can put garlic powder in it and it'll taste better." He gave a hum to himself and set his phone against one of the candles that were on the table. "But I always overdo it when I try and add garlic power."

Craig's mind that was silently pleading to the gods for any and every chance to hear that sound from Tweek again stopped its prayers when he heard yet another moan, but not from his tutor. He turned his eyes from the fork in front of him to Tweek munching happily on his odd pasta while staring at his phone.

The phone played a video of a woman also eating some sort of pasta, she was eating a large amount and talking as she did. Craig grimaced slightly upon seeing the woman stuff a rather large bite of pasta into her mouth, but the bite began leaking out from the size of it being too big. 

Craig gagged. "What are you watching?"

Tweek looked up from the video, swallowing what he was chewing before speaking. "It's a mukbang."

"Oh yeah." Craig looked at the lady take a sip of her water and ask about his day as if she hadn't just taken a huge bite of Alfredo. "I _totally_ know what that is"

Tweek rolled his eyes at the sarcasm, bring his hand up to wipe the sides of his mouth. "It's like an eating show, you just... watch someone eat."

"And you're doing that because...?" Craig looked at Tweek with an expectant stare, his hand starting to circle in question.

"Well... I just usually watch them when I have dinner." Tweek prodded at his plate, his eyes not coming up as he spoke again. "It's like having company while I eat."

Craig's face fell, he was ready and willing to make jokes about the weird videos, but hearing Tweek say that made him hold off. The idea of Tweek sitting alone in this big house and eating his frozen microwave dinners with this fake version of company made Craig want to grab Tweek and just hold him.

"Tweek, sometimes you depress the shit out of me." Craig scooted his dinning chair closer to Tweek's, letting his shoulder bump with the tutor's. "But if you ever want someone for dinner, you can always call."

Tweek leaned into Craig, his face being hidden into the chamber of Craig's shoulder. "I'll hold you to that."

Craig looked down at he head of hair on his shoulder. "I hope you do."

The moment felt nice, but the continued obnoxious chewing coming from Tweek's phone minorly ruined it. Craig reached for the phone and turned it off, setting his arm on the back of Tweek's chair after the screen went black. 

Tweek readjusted himself in his seat to sit up straight again, leaning himself back until his shoulder's met Craig's arm, the two glancing at one another through the corner of their eyes. Looking away and back to their plates once they caught the other staring. 

"So..." Tweek began to twirl another bite of pasta around his fork. "What are we watching tonight?"

Craig glanced at his utensil that had Tweek's mouth on it, sticking it into his mound of noodles and finally taking his own bite of the ketchup sauced pasta. "It's called Saw."

"Saw?" Tweek gave a small laugh, the strange feeling in the air lifting enough for him to look at Craig. "What type of movie is that?"

Craig gave a small frown at the strange taste of the food, it wasn't off-putting, just unexpected. "It's a... one of those puzzle movies."

"Oh!" Tweek's face broke with an excited smile. "I love those types of movies."

Craig let himself flop onto the bed with a quiet 'oof', his chest hitting first and getting the air pushed out. "Not gonna lie, your bed is always super soft."

"That's a totally normal thing to say." Tweek sat knee first onto the bed, settling himself the rest of the way with a small shove to Craig's shoulder. "Makes me wonder if you've ever snuck in here when I'm not home."

Craig brought his arms up to rest his head on, looking at Tweek with a grin. "I only come here because you're here, Babe."

Tweek scoffed and got up from the bed. "That's enough, Tucker." He picked his laptop up from his desk and walked back to the bed with a small glare to Craig. "I'm honestly gonna start calling you Craiggy Bear."

"Go ahead." Craig flipped himself over, laying on his back and stilting himself up on his elbows to look at Tweek. "It'll piss the shit out of Romeo." 

Tweek shook his head at his student, coming back to the bed with shaming clicks of the tongue. "Do you give everyone nicknames?"

"Pretty much." Craig patted the bed space next to him. "Come on, let's get this thing started." 

Tweek reached over to the nightstand and turned the single light source in the room off, sinking into the spot he was in until his head hit the pillow. "So all I know is this is a puzzle movie." He opened up the laptop, balancing it between his abdomen and knees to start typing in his password. "Wanna tell me something else about it?"

"It's kind of a murder mystery... puzzle movie." Craig watched Tweek open up the internet browser, taking the computer from Tweek with a mouthed 'thank you'. 

Tweek gave a cautious look to Craig as he typed in the name of the movie. "It's not too bad, is it?"

"Eh... no." Craig clicked on the link to the movie, settling the computer against his knees for viewing purposes. "You'll be fine." 

In all honesty, it _was_ bad. 

A couple days ago Craig saw a spider and gave a full shriek upon seeing it. It wasn't a very graceful screech so Tweek, being a good friend of Craig's, decided to take the moment and make fun of him mercilessly. 

He had called him a 'scaredy cat' because the thing was so small and barely even noticeable, he had put it on a piece of paper and began to chase Craig around with it. Saying as he chased Craig how he was 'too easily grossed out' especially by something so small like the penny sized spider. 

The phrase stuck with him. 

_too easily grossed out_

Craig wanted revenge. 

He wanted to 'gross out' Tweek like he had been grossed out. 

So he thought of the perfect plan to gross Tweek out by showing him one of the most graphically horrifying movies he could. 

Thus the movie Saw. 

Or more specifically Saw III. 

The blonde that had previously been sitting a good space away from Craig had scooted closer sometime between a man breaking his own foot and a group of police sawing a door open. 

Tweek's body started to cave towards Craig as yet another violently bloody scene played out on the screen in front of them. His knees turning to bump against the outside of Craig's thighs and hands starting to grip onto the blankets from nerves. 

"So... the whole movie's not like this?" Tweek's hand started to knead the blanket he gripped onto, his brows contorting up in what Craig guessed was fear. " _Right?_ "

Craig gave a fake yawn at the gory scene happening in front of them. "There's a few cop scenes here and there." He then smirked at Tweek. "Why? Feeling _grossed out_ , Scaredy Cat?"

Despite the lack of light to perfectly see and make out all of Tweek's expression, Craig could still notice the betrayal that flashed in the tutor's eyes. Tweek remembering and processing the daring and prodding nature of the question. 

Tweek gave a huff and straightened his face. "No, I'm just wondering." 

"Oh okay." Craig put one of his hands behind his head and rested the other on his stomach. "Can't wait to watch all two hours with you." 

It was at the 20 minute mark that Tweek began to crack again, his face no longer held its brave shape and instead let his concerned brows and downturned lips live freely. Craig glancing at the slowly evaporating space between him and Tweek, not minding the hand that had found itself clutching onto the arm of his sweatshirt. 

"Doin' okay?" Craig said with a small nudge of his arm that was now home to Tweek's hand.

Tweek flicked his worried eyes from the screen to Craig, trying to give a smug smile as he said. "I'm fine." 

"Really?" Craig didn't want Tweek to move his hand so he didn't mention the obvious inclination of fear. "You're good watching this?"

Tweek nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?" 

Craig went to open his mouth, but the screen flashed a new death trap that someone had been encased in. The woman's scream jostled him slightly, but the feeling of Tweek rushing into his side threw him off guard. Tweek grabbed onto the entirety Craig's arm, tightening his hold around it with a small little _eep_. 

Craig grinned at the reaction, subtly flexing as Tweek buried his face into the arm's fabric. "Still feeling fine?"

Tweek didn't respond, his eyes glued to the screen of the computer and hands tightening around Craig's arm as the woman being held hostage had her problems made worse. His breathing bordering on meek whimpers as he watched the horrors on screen. 

Craig didn't like this part of the revenge. 

Tweek let out a short shout when a man was thrown pig entrails while stuck in a hole. Craig's arm no longer sufficed as a viable protection from fear, Tweek reached between Craig's arm and side to wrap himself around his student's middle. Digging his head into the crook of Craig's neck with another hushed yelp.

Craig frowned and placed his arm on Tweek's lower back, not liking the little twitches and small shakes Tweek would do when a scream or shout would come from the computer. "You wanna switch to a different movie?" 

"N-No." Tweek peeked out from Craig's neck to look at the screen showing a less violent scene of a hospital. "I'm fine." 

Craig winced at the response, stroking his hand up and down the scared male's back. "Tweek, I'm not joking with you. We can switch to something else." 

Tweek rested his head on Craig's chest with a clearing of the throat. "I'm getting through this movie."

Craig was tempted to just say he wasn't feeling the movie and was turning it off for himself, but he knew Tweek and his pride wouldn't let that happen. He was going to finish this bloodbath with or without Craig. 

"I want to play a game." 

Tweek stuffed his face back into Craig's shoulder with a squawk of fear, his shaky breath hitting heavy against the other male's neck. 

Craig squeezed Tweek closer, the chills from Tweek's breath caused goosebumps to spread throughout his body. The tingling sensation left over from those shivers making Craig yearn for the feeling again, each scared exhale causing Craig to pull Tweek closer. 

"Craig?" 

Craig snapped out of his Tweek high and looked down at the set of frightened pupils in front of him. "What is it?"

"Can you just..." Tweek motioned to the screen with a tilt of the head. "Tell me when the bad parts are happening?"

Craig nodded and caressed Tweek's waist. "Sure." 

"You were supposed to tell me!" 

Craig held Tweek tighter to him, hands clutching the blonde's head to his chest and back to the front of his body. "I forgot that _that_ happened!"

"How could you forget someone dying like that!" 

Craig loosened his grip on Tweek. "Sorry, I think you can look now." 

Tweek let his tension filled body release slightly, his muscles relaxing as letting him get a small glimpse of the laptop's screen before Craig squeezed him back into his chest. " _Shit_ -No, that's a person's brain." 

Craig listened to the credits with a frown, his eyes still on Tweek's upset and worried face. The blonde stayed huddled up to him as he began to turn off the movie and its ominous sounding end credits. 

_He should be fine now, right?_

Craig gave a few quick strokes up and down Tweek's back. "You okay?"

"Yeah..." Tweek nodded. "Can we just watch something... _happy_ now?"

Craig sat up slightly, resting his shoulders against the headboard as he pulled the computer closer. "What do you wanna watch?" He smiled and gave a rub to the blonde's back. "Romance? Comedy? Cartoon? Or the best of all the worlds, something by Adam Sandler?"

Tweek twitched a smile, but ultimately stayed timid and hidden against Craig's chest. "Something by Adam Sandler." 

Craig picked the first movie that came up for Adam Sandler and let it play, hoping it would finally put Tweek back into a better and less upset mood. Scratching up and down Tweek's back as funky music and ill-timed jokes began to ascend and fill the room back with warmth. The noirette feeling better upon seeing Tweek actually looking and watching the movie that starred the silly man. But his hope for Tweek being better falling short when he took a look closer at the male, his eyes still looking alarmed by what he had just seen. 

_Please don't be permanently traumatized._

Craig checked the time in the corner of the computer screen, it was getting pretty late. The second movie of the night was almost over.

He took a long look at Tweek. He still looked upset and the tight hand gripping the front of Craig's shirt didn't give him a whole lot of confidence in the Sandler rehabilitation that he tried to give Tweek. All he could really do is give his tutor affirming squeezes and tight holds he had been giving him all night. 

In all honesty Craig felt bad, he had started out just wanting to get even with Tweek and maybe even spook him a little, but he didn't want this. He didn't want to completely upset Tweek like he has. He didn't even know what was going on in Tweek's head, he just knew that the blonde was clinging to him like a child and anytime he moved Tweek would get seemingly stressed and hold onto him tighter. 

Craig hummed a discontent noise into Tweek's hair, closing the laptop as credits played down the screen. He started sitting up, his back cracking as he arched it up then back down, groaning through the cracks. "It's getting late."

Tweek's hands clenched harder onto Craig, being sat up with Craig as he moved. "I-It's not that late." 

"I don't know." Craig pulled his phone from his pocket, his mom hasn't sent him the warning text yet, but he was expecting it soon. He pocketed his phone and went to get out of bed. "I think I should-"

"Don't go." Tweek wrapped his arms around Craig's neck, keeping him grounded on the bed with the blonde paper weight. Tweek's face twinged with embarrassment, his eyes apologetic for the grabbing and the holding down he was still doing. "Stay... Please."

Craig cupped Tweek's arm as the blonde pulled himself to sit higher with Craig, their eyes on the same level as he continued. "It's just that... in that movie people got kidnapped when they were alone and I live alone... and I know I always talk about how I can protect myself and all that, but I don't think I would be able to actually take someone on. Especially if they were just hiding in my closet like that one scene with the cop." 

Tweek began to shake as he spoke, Craig moving his hands to caress Tweek's worried face. "Tweek"

"And then I'd get trapped in one of those... _traps_ and a lot of them didn't even give you a way to get out and I'd be stuck then I'd die." As Tweek kept ranting, his eyes became larger and more scared the further he got engrossed in this horror nightmare of his. "And it would be possible because we have made a couple enemies with people that would definitely want to not see us again. I mean think of-"

" _Tweek._ " Craig's voice was stern and in that hard tone that usually got the tutor's attention. 

Tweek bit his lip to keep himself from rambling more, looking at Craig with the same big stressed eyes. 

"Calm down, it's okay." Craig moved his hand from Tweek's face, placing it on the small of his back. Keeping his voice low and steady as he continued to try and pet the blonde calm. "I won't go anywhere."

Tweek let out a sigh of relief, melting into Craig just from hearing the affirming words. The tense limbs and clutching hands releasing their stress and completely sinking on top of Craig. Tweek letting out a jagged but growing strong breath, ending his detox with a smile pressed to the neck of his student and a small. "Thank you." 

The sun crashed in through the windows and erupted the whole room with light and warm sensations. Sun beams shone through uncurtained windows, the previous covers having been accidentally torn down. They rays shooting themselves along the bed spread and all the way up to the sleeping males that were tangled within. 

A single glimmer of light laid itself on Tweek's exposed eye, the sharp feeling of the illumination knocking on the door and ringing the door bell to Tweek's eye all at once. The nosey and intrusive feeling of the light pried his eye ajar and blinded it upon its opening. Squinting to try and hide from the sun before giving up and settling in with the new brightness around him. 

He hummed and was going to sit up from his bed, but two arms around him kept him partly down. 

He blinked a few more times and smiled at the sleeping image of Craig. 

The small trail of drool, the missing hat, the ruffled hair and the shirt undershirt he always wore underneath everything. 

"He stayed the whole night." Tweek said quietly to himself, his hand swiping away some of the stray hair that had found itself in front of sleeping eyes; tucking the loose stands in the general direction of an ear. 

He smiled and repeated the action for the other side of Craig's bangs, humming a sweet sigh once the usual middle bangs were left alone in the center. Tweek let his fingers sit on his forehead before pushing back all of the hair he had just finely placed. Letting out a little laugh as he did another round of pushing back the dark hair, continuing to smooth back the hair and try and keep it back. "Someone looks handsome this morning." 

"Thanks."

Tweek's face burned as he caught a set of smug eyes staring at him from the pillow, throwing himself back and away from Craig. Rolling off the bed in a beautiful display of arms and legs. "Gah!" 

"You're chipper." Craig sat up and looked over the edge of the bed, smiling at his tutor in the mess of limbs and blankets he's made of himself.

Tweek pulled the blanket from his head and looked up at Craig from the floor. "How long were you awake?"

"Doesn't matter." Craig scooted to Tweek's side of the bed, looking down at the discombobulated blonde and laughing. "I don't think I've ever seen you this clumsy." 

Tweek laughed and pointed to the window that had no barrier on it. "Says the one that quite literally fell through my window and took down my curtains."

Craig held his hand out for Tweek. "Alright, we'll call it even." 

Tweek took the hand and let himself be pulled forward to Craig, landing hips to chest with the student. The two bumped together before Tweek pulled back with a bitten smile, his eyes dodging Craig's as he motioned behind him to the door. "How about I make a bowl of cereal? It's a Tweak specialty."

"Well, how can I say no to that?" Craig kept his eyes on his tutor as he turned out the door to fill the cereal request, butterflies floated around his stomach as he thought about the plain fact, he had slept, overnight, in the same bed, with Tweek. 

He shouldn't care this much about sleeping in an unusual place, but the memory of Tweek falling asleep in his arms haunted him in the best way possible. He didn't wanna think about anything other than that wholesome moment with his tutor. The sweet look Tweek had when he had finally calmed down and realized Craig was there to stay for the night. The tone Tweek used when he thought he was asleep, the way he had touched his hair and the fact he had called him handsome, all of it was overwhelming, but warm feeling. 

"Hey Craig?!" Tweek called from downstairs.

Craig smiled at Tweek's voice and got up from the bed to hang in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Could you grab me my phone? I think it fell under the bed last night." 

Craig put up an okay sign with his fingers even thought Tweek couldn't see it. "No problem." 

Craig took him and his dreamy state to the bed, first just squatting down and letting his hand wander aimlessly underneath the bedskirt. But after no results he decided to actually put in the effort and look with his head underneath the bed for the phone. 

Lifting up the white trim that outlined the whole bed, Craig gave an absentminded hum and ducked his head under the bed. His eyes doing a lazy search of the area in front of him, before his eyes had caught something. 

He paused as he looked at the dark object from under the bed, it didn't look phone shaped, but he was too curious not to pick it up. He reached his hand and grasped the cylindrical object, his fingers able to wrap around the object and fully hold it. 

He pulled out the object and revealed it to the world in all its green glory. 

At first Craig wasn't sure what he was seeing. He wasn't sure that he had pulled out an object that was longer than it was wider. He wasn't sure that he had pulled out, what could only be described as a, pleasurable item from underneath his sweet and caring tutor's bed. He wasn't sure why his sweet and caring tutor would have this underneath his bed. He wasn't sure why his _pants_ felt like it was a fun fact that the tutor had this underneath his bed. 

His eyes only getting bigger the longer he stared, the phalic thing staring back at Craig just as much as he was staring at it. 

Then it struck him. 

Yesterday. 

He had seen Tweek shove something underneath his bed when he was leaving the room. 

He heard Tweek gasp and give soft mutters. 

He didn't walk in on a nightmare. 

Tweek _wasn't_ taking a nap.

"Hey, what's taking you so long?" 

Craig froze in his spot he still had something, that had definitely been inside of Tweek, in his hands. He quickly tossed the object back under the bed and turned to Tweek with a nervous shrug. "Isnfjd." 

"Huh?" Tweek furrowed a brow, coming closer to inspect the male that was suddenly perspiring. "Are you okay?"

Craig nodded, holding his breath as he stood. " _Totally_. I think I'm just gonna cum in my pants." 

Tweek's eyes bulged, his voice raising an octave as he yelped out. " _What?!_ "

"Eh-I-I mean I'm gonna come to my aunts." Craig cleared his throat and started to walk out the room and past Tweek. "She's... Her... It's her birthday today." 

Tweek just looked at Craig, unable to do much else than shrug as he walked out the door. "Uh... okay." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, remember when Craig and Tweek hated each other?


End file.
